question re treatments, page-2

Hi pixie,

BIT225 has been shown to be complementary to newer drugs in vitro, so there is certainly potential for it to be used in combination.

Biotron have said that BIT225 is likely to used as part of a cocktail of drugs to treat HCV, given the virus' propensity to develop resistance.

Not sure why it isn't being trialed in combination with newer drugs, but reasons could include:

1) not much point trialling two experimental drugs in combination, because hard to determine which is causing effects. Also hard to get approval.

2)owners of other drugs may not be willing to share

3) effectiveness in combination with standard of care is a measure that everyone can understand, including potential partners

4) new drugs could be very expensive, so attractive to wealthy first-world patients, while BIT225 working in combination with interferon and ribavarin may offer a more cost-effective treatment for less wealthy clients (interferon and ribavirin can have some nasty side effects).

5)And finally (this is my favourite) potential partners may have helped guide biotron's clinical program. For me, the current combination HIV/HCV trial (just 12 patients/open label) doesn't make much sense unless it has been requested/suggested by a potential partner).

This is just guess work. There may be other, better reasons I haven't thought about. Others might have greater insights.

But to answer your central question - yes, BIT225 has demonstrated, at least in the lab, compatability with the new generation of anti-HCV drugs.