Quebec-based PENDOPHARM, a division of Pharmascience Inc., today announced Health Canada approval and market availability of Ibavyr (ribavirin tablets), the first stand-alone oral ribavirin for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in Canada. Approved to be used in combination with other agents, Ibavyr will enable some patients to receive an all-oral therapy (without interferon injections), which represents a novel treatment approach in Canada.

“The approval of Ibavyr transforms the treatment of HCV as some patients will now be able to receive treatment regimens without the use of interferon, thus eliminating the potential side effects associated with interferon that often lead patients not to start, or to complete, treatment,” said Dr. Alnoor Ramji, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University Of British Columbia. “Ibavyr will offer the opportunity for Canadian health care professionals to provide patients ribavirin as part of an all-oral treatment regimen that is well-tolerated, thus allowing more patients to be treated and to achieve viral eradication.”

For more details, go to: http://pendopharm.com/health-canadas-approval-of-ibavyr/