Chiron grants non-exclusive HCV license to Vertex

Chiron Corporation has granted a nonexclusive license to Vertex Pharmaceuticals for the research, development and commercialisation of therapeutics against certain hepatitis C virus (HCV) drug targets.

In addition, Chiron was granted limited rights to review Vertex's compound VX-950, a potential treatment for HCV infection, for potential licensing. 'As this agreement illustrates, Chiron is committed to making its technology for hepatitis C widely available to companies researching new therapies for this disease,' said William Green, Chiron general counsel. 'We are continuing to work on addressing this major medical need by licensing our technology to other companies and by pursuing our own research into agents to prevent and treat hepatitis C.'

Chiron also announced the opening of a nucleic acid testing (NAT) lab in China as part of the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Beijing Blood Centre. The Chiron NAT Lab will be utilised initially as a clinical trial site required for product registration in China. The NAT lab will utilise Procleix HIV-1/HCV Assay, which tests simultaneously for the HIV-1 and hepatitis C (HCV) virus in donated blood. The opening of this laboratory will increase Chiron's visibility in the Asian market and provide the company with a platform for potential future growth in the region.

'The opening of the Procleix lab in China represents an important milestone in Chiron's commitment to expand blood safety globally,' said Jack Goldstein, president, Chiron Blood Testing. 'China is committed to adding new layers of safety to the nation's blood supply. We hope to continue to build on the excellent partnership that we have established with Chinese health authorities as we move forward in introducing Procleix into the Chinese market.'