UPDATE 1-SciClone says hepatitis C drug trial shows promise

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Feb 11 (Reuters) - SciClone Pharmaceuticals Inc (SCLN.O) and Sigma-Tau S.p.A said interim data from a late-stage trial of hepatitis C drug, Zadaxin, was promising, with 171 out of 553 total patients having no detectable hepatitis C virus in the blood at the end of 48 weeks of therapy.

Total patients included both the treatment group, that received the drug being investigated, and the control group, which received a dummy drug, the company said, adding the breakdown between the two groups was not known.

Full data from the trial will be available in the third quarter of 2008, the companies said in a joint statement.

The drug is being evaluated in combination with the current standard therapies for the liver-destroying hepatitis C virus.

Shares of SciClone were trading at $2.03 before the bell. The stock had closed at $1.98 Friday on the Nasdaq. (Reporting by Varsha Tickoo in Bangalore; Editing by Deepak Kannan)