Human Genome Sciences is developing a drug, Albuferon, that patients in a midstage trial of it are reporting better quality of life although it is at an early stage. They agreed to jointly market it with Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis but the risk is the late stage clinical trials could show it not to be as effective as investors hoped.

Idenix Pharmaceuticals has partnered with Novartis on its drug, NM283. The drug has modest potency but is undergoing a trial in combination interferon and ribvirin that may show better results. Roche has a competing drug that may be more potent but it has to be given in higher doses. The trial for Idenix will hopefully clear things up.

Intermune of Brisbane, CA has partnered with Swisds pharmaceutical titan Roche on several of its drugs. There have been no trials yet (one is planned for year end) so this is definitely speculative.

Schering-Plough is an established playerin the treatment of Hepatitis C with a few different drugs which brought in 750M in sales last year. They have a few new drugs that are in development right now.

Vertex is the leader in the pack for drugs treating the virus. The small to mid-stage clinical trial results were spectacular. In June, the company signed a deal with Johnson & Johnson to codevelop the drug in which J&J obtained most foreign rights. Vertex shares have quadrupled over the past 2 years on optimism about its drug.

In August, ViroPharma of Exton, PA said data from an early stage trial of its drug reduced the virus 99% after 14 days of treatment in combination with interferon.