New Haven biotech firm Achillion, which suffered a setback in September with the termination of a major Hepatitis C partnership, trimmed its losses in the third quarter of 2017, but is still on track to lose more money this year than in 2016, the company reported Thursday.
 For the quarter ended Sept. 30, Achillion lost $19.3 million, or 14 cents a share, down from $20.7 million, or 15 cents a share, in the third quarter of 2016.
But in the first three quarters of 2017, Achillion lost $62 million, compared to $57.3 million during the same period a year ago, the company reported.
Achillion attributed the narrower third-quarter losses to decreased legal fees and lower preclinical and manufacturing costs for its drug compound ACH-4471, aimed at treating a life-threatening blood disorder and other rare diseases.
Overall, R&D costs were $15.6 million for the quarter, down from $16.7 million in the same period last year, the company reported.
In September, Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Pharmaceuticals pulled the plug on a potential Hepatitis C treatment that included an antiviral compound developed by Achillion, despite good results in clinical trials. Janssen, citing a crowded Hep C treatment market, said it would focus instead on treatments for Hepatitis B.
Natalie Missakian can be reached at news@newhavenbiz.com
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