Roche has entered into a definitive merger agreement for Roche to acquire Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for $230 million in cash. Anadys, based in San-Diego, CA, develops oral, small molecule therapeutics for the potential treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Anadys’ most advanced drug candidate, Setrobuvir (ANA598), is a direct-acting antiviral compound currently in a Phase II study in combination with Roche’s pegylated interferon (Pegasys) and ribavirin (Copegus).

Jean-Jacques Garaud, global head of Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, said, “This acquisition augments our already strong HCV portfolio. Our aim is to offer physicians and hepatitis patients a powerful combination of therapies that bring us closer to a cure, even without the use of interferon. Anadys’ compounds provide additional modes of action that could lead to interferon-free treatment regimens without viral resistance.”