HGSI's Hepatitis Drug Zalbin: When an FDA Rejection Is Good News

The FDA is none too pleased withHuman Genome Sciences‘ (HGSI) new hepatitis C drugZalbin (albinterferon alfa-2b), but that may be a blessing in disguise given entrenched competition and changing treatment landscape marring the drug’s commercial potential.

Although the FDA isn’t set to rule officially on Zalbin’s approval until October, the agency sent HGSI a letter yesterday expressing concerns about the drug’s risk/benefit ratio and warning that approval at the current dose is unlikely.