Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ONXX), Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ACHN): This Week in Biotech

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According to Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACHN)’s update, sovaprevir, when studied with atazanavir, was associated with elevated ALT enzymes in the liver, although no serious adverse events were documented. Even though the FDA is allowing Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACHN) to continue studying sovaprevir in its mid-stage trial with ACH-3102, it’s just another setback for Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACHN) which is miles behind Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) and AbbVie Inc (NYSE:ABBV) in terms of time it will take to bring a new hepatitis-C therapy to market.

The intriguing
While largely an under the radar story, I can’t let the week end without mentioning the exciting potential news for patients with HIV. According to a report by Bloomberg, GlaxoSmithKline plc (ADR) (NYSE:GSK) and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) are testing a new vaccination (GSK 744 and TMC278) that could allow HIV patients the convenience of taking a shot once a month or once a quarter instead of popping pills every day for the rest of their life. In a 40-person HIV-negative study, researchers noted that the level needed to suppress progression or slow down the infection was adequate throughout the month and lasted for up to four months after the last injection.This is an exciting development worth keeping a close eye on!

The article This Week in Biotech originally appeared on Fool.com is written by Sean Williams.

Fool contributor Sean Williams has no material interest in any companies mentioned in this article. You can follow him on CAPS under the screen name TMFUltraLong, track every pick he makes under the screen name TrackUltraLong, and check him out on Twitter, where he goes by the handle @TMFUltraLong.

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