Roche acquires new hepatitis C treatment danoprevir

Roche has agreed a deal with fellow healthcare firm InterMune to acquire the global rights to a promising new treatment for hepatitis C.

The company has paid $175 million (110.5 million pounds) for sole development and commercialisation rights to danoprevir, a compound on which the two companies have been working collaboratively since 2006.

It has shown a promising performance in pre-clinical and early stage clinical trials and has now become part of a hepatitis C drug portfolio that also includes treatments such as Pegasys and RG7128.

Roche states that the agreement will allow it to improve its standing in the hepatitis therapy market, which it believes is "poised for major expansion" in the coming years.

Dan Zabrowski, global head of Roche Partnering, explained: "Having full ownership of danoprevir increases our ability to rapidly develop combinations of our own hepatitis C compounds with molecules from other companies to maximise patient benefit."

Last month, the company announced plans to conduct a corporate efficiency improvement scheme called Operational Excellence, which will take place throughout 2011 and 2012.