Novartis is stepping out of the hepatitis C market. Enanta Pharmaceuticals stated Wednesday that it expects to regain full rights from Novartis to the compound EDP-239, an NS5A inhibitor currently in Phase-I trials for HCV. Jay Luly, president and CEO of the Watertown, MA, drugmaker, said in a statement, “Novartis notified Enanta that as part of an ongoing portfolio transformation, HCV research would no longer be a strategic focus for Novartis.” The duo entered a strategic collaboration in February 2012.