Merck & Co. and Roche, two rivals in the hepatitis C virus (HCV) market, have joined forces in a broad, non-exclusive collaboration to advance potential new treatment regimens for HCV infection. As a part of the deal, the two companies will promote Merck’s recently approved HCV drug Victrelis™ (boceprevir), initially in the US. The partnership will strengthen the drug’s position in the HCV drug market as it competes with Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ Incivek™ (telaprevir), which also gained US FDA approval in May 2011 and is regarded as having a better efficacy and tolerability profile.