Left far behind in the race to develop cutting-edge drugs for hepatitis C, Boehringer Ingelheim says it is getting out of the field and washing its hands of its lead therapy, faldepravir. Faldepravir didn't have much of a chance in this new blockbuster market for hepatitis C. It still requires the use of interferon, which causes some common side effects, while the new oral cocktails are eliminating interferon altogether. "The HCV treatment environment has significantly and rapidly evolved since the submission of the faldaprevir marketing applications to regulatory bodies around the world," the company said in a statement. "There are now several new treatment options available for patients and additional all-oral options are expected to be approved in 2014. This decision was taken as there is no longer an unmet medical need for the faldaprevir interferon-based regimen that was the subject of the application." Release