Vertex Pharmaceuticals Announces Acceptance of Late-Breaker Abstract on Telaprevir,...

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Announces Acceptance of Late-Breaker Abstract on Telaprevir, Investigational HCV Protease Inhibitor, for Presentation at EASL Annual Meeting

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(Business Wire)--
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today announced
that data related to its investigational hepatitis C protease
inhibitor telaprevir will be featured in a late-breaker poster
presentation during the 43rd Annual Meeting of the European
Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) in Milan, April 23-27,
2008.

The title of the abstract is "A Study of Telaprevir (TVR) with
Peginterferon alfa-2A (P) and Ribavirin (R) in Subjects with
Well-documented Prior P/R Null Response, Non-Response or Relapse:
Preliminary Results" and will be presented at EASL starting on
Thursday, April 24. Accepted late-breaker abstracts for the EASL
meeting are now available on the EASL website. Information contained
in the late-breaker poster abstract has also been filed by Vertex with
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on a Form 8-K.

In addition to the late-breaker abstract, three additional
abstracts on telaprevir have been accepted for presentation during
EASL:

Oral Presentations:

PROVE 1: Results From a Phase 2 Study of Telaprevir with
Peginterferon alfa-2a and Ribavirin in Treatment-Naive Subjects with
Hepatitis C; Thursday; April 24 at 3:45 p.m. CET (9:45 a.m EDT).

Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C with Telaprevir (TVR) in
Combination with Peginterferon-alfa-2a with or without Ribavirin:
Further Interim Analysis Results of the PROVE2 Study; Friday, April 25
at 11:45 a.m. CET (6:45 a.m EDT).

Poster Presentation:

Natural Prevalence Of HCV Variants with Decreased Susceptibility
to NS3--4a Protease Inhibitors in Treatment-Naive Subjects; starting
Thursday, April 24 at 7:00 p.m. CET (1:00 p.m EDT).

About Telaprevir

Telaprevir (VX-950) is an investigational oral inhibitor of HCV
protease, an enzyme essential for viral replication, and is one of the
most advanced investigational antiviral agents in development that
specifically targets HCV.

About Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus,
which is found in the blood of people with the disease. HCV, a serious
public health concern affecting 3.4 million individuals in the United
States, is spread through direct contact with the blood of infected
people. Though many people with hepatitis C may not experience
symptoms, others may have symptoms such as jaundice, abdominal pain,
fatigue and fever. Chronic hepatitis C significantly increases a
person's risk for developing long-term infection, chronic liver
disease, cirrhosis or death. The burden of liver disease associated
with HCV infection is increasing, and current therapies typically
provide sustained benefit in less than half of patients with genotype
1 HCV, the most common strain of the virus.

About Vertex

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated is a global biotechnology
company committed to the discovery and development of breakthrough
small molecule drugs for serious diseases. The Company's strategy is
to commercialize its products both independently and in collaboration
with major pharmaceutical companies. Vertex's product pipeline is
focused on viral diseases, inflammation, autoimmune diseases, cancer,
pain and bacterial infection. Vertex co-discovered the HIV protease
inhibitor, Lexiva, with GlaxoSmithKline.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains a forward-looking statement that
telaprevir data will be featured in a late-breaker poster presentation
at EASL starting on April 24. While we believe this statement to be
correct, it is based on information we have received from EASL and
that information is subject to future developments that could
adversely affect the content, timing or form of that presentation.

(VRTX - GEN)

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
Michael Partridge, 617-444-6108
Senior Director, Strategic Communications
or
Lora Pike, 617-444-6755
Manager, Investor Relations

Copyright Business Wire 2008