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Lasker Foundation awards scientists for early DAA research
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The Lasker Foundation lauded several scientists, including three whose research was used to “revolutionize the treatment” of hepatitis C, according to a press release.
Ralf F.W. Bartenschlager, PhD, of the Heidelberg University Hospital in Germany, Charles M. Rice, PhD, of the Center for the Study of Hepatitis C at Rockefeller University in New York City, and Michael J. Sofia, PhD, of Arbutus Biopharma in Doylestown, Pa., received the 2016 Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award for their HCV research that led to the wave of direct-acting antivirals and high levels of sustained virologic response.
“Until the work of Bartenschlager, Rice, and Sofia, [HCV] therapy included drugs with side effects that many people could not tolerate and that often did not cure the disease,” the foundation wrote in a press release. “These victories culminated in a safe, effective, oral therapy for HCV that set a new standard and transformed the treatment of a devastating viral illness.”
According to the release, Bartenschlager and Rice duplicated HCV within human, lab-grown cells. Sofia then created sofosbuvir, eventually developed and marketed as Sovaldi (Gilead Sciences). The drug — described by the foundation as having “unprecedented potency and safety” — resulted in 90% or higher SVR for HCV genotype 1, and, along with Olysio (simeprevir, Janssen) ushered in the second wave of highly effective DAA therapy.
Subsequent approvals of the first single-pill, fixed-dose combination of sofosbuvir plus the NS5A inhibitor ledipasvir (Harvoni, Gilead Sciences) provided SVRs higher than 95% for patients infected with HCV genotype 1, according to Sofia.
“The journey from the identification of a virus that causes debilitating liver damage to a safe and highly effective cure for HCV has taken more than 24 years,” Sofia wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “The possibility now exists that with time and commitment, HCV infection can one day be given the designation of a rare disease.”
A formal award presentation takes place Sept. 23 in New York City. The winner(s) in each category share a $250,000 honorarium.
“The work of this year’s honorees epitomizes the power and impact of dedication to rigorous and innovative medical research,” said Claire Pomeroy, president of the Lasker Foundation. “The innovative and highly original achievements of these scientists highlight the critical importance of sustained support for biomedical research in attaining a healthier future for all.”
Reference: Bartenschlager RFW, et al. JAMA. 2016;doi:10.1001/jama.2016.13713.
Disclosures: Bartenschlager reports he is the co-founder of Reblikon GmbH, which holds the commercial rights to the HCV replicon technology; Rice reports receiving funding from NIH, Greenberg Medical Research Institute, the Starr Foundation and other donors, an ownership interest in Apath LLC, royalty payments from Washington University, and an ad-hoc relationship with Merck; Sofia reports receiving personal fees from Pharmasset Inc. and Gilead Sciences Inc.