Data, Data, Data, page-63

The SVR thing is interesting.

It's quite common for anti-viral drugs to reduce viral loads to undetectable levels. But stop taking the drugs and all too often the virus rebounds. Happens frequently with old interferon-based Hep C treatments, and happens without exception with anti-HIV HART treatment. Hence the need for yardsticks like SVR12 and SVR 24 etc - if the virus is still undetectable 12 weeks after finishing medication (SVR12), then it's likely it isn't coming back i.e. you are cured.

But this TT-034 treatment is different - the RNA in the liver cells are constantly pumping out anti-HCV proteins - it's like the treatment never stops. So if viral loads drop rapidly to undetectable levels, it's a safe bet that they won't rebound - not in 12 weeks, not in 24 weeks, not in two years.

Perhaps that's what the company means - using SVR as a shorthand for 'no detectable virus.' So if two patients in a cohort have no detectable virus, then that constitutes a material event.

If so, we might be closer to an announcement than we thought. The first patient in cohort 4 was dosed before 13th of November (according to Westhx, and confirmed by the 20-f form). There's a ten week gap required before dosing the next patient - so late January. That second patient could be dosed in early February, and would have a liver biopsy 21 days later, so end of February.

So if the first two patients in cohort four achieve undetectable levels of virus, we could know sometime in March.

Lots of 'ifs' and 'buts', but here's hoping

have a good xmas all!