ALISO VIEJO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Valeant Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:VRX) today announced that it has begun enrolling patients in a Phase 2b clinical study for its antiviral compound, taribavirin, an oral nucleoside (guanosine) analog, for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in conjunction with a pegylated interferon. The Phase 2b is a multi-center, randomized, parallel, open-label study in 260 treatment-naïve, genotype 1 patients and will evaluate taribavirin at 20 mg/kg, 25 mg/kg, and 30 mg/kg per day in combination with pegylated interferon alfa-2b. There also will be a control group comprised of ribavirin (800/1,000/1,200/1,400 mg daily) and pegylated interferon alfa-2b.
