Stockholm, Sweden – Medivir AB (Nasdaq Stockholm: MVIR) announced that MIV-802 has been selected as a candidate drug (CD) from its hepatitis C virus (HCV) nucleotide polymerase inhibitor project for the treatment of HCV infection, and is entering non-clinical development.
Approximately 120 million people are chronically infected with HCV globally*. HCV causes progressive liver disease in many of those who are chronically infected, and this can lead ultimately to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and a requirement for liver transplantation. However the infection is curable with combinations of antiviral agents, and nucleotide inhibitors of the viral polymerase have been shown to be central to many of the most effective drug combinations for treating HCV.
MIV-802 is a highly potent and selective nucleotide inhibitor of the replication of all genotypes of the hepatitis C virus in antiviral assays. Preclinical data indicate that it can be used effectively in combination with other classes of antiviral agents used to treat HCV, including protease inhibitors and NS5A inhibitors. MIV-802 has been designed to deliver large amounts of the drug selectively to the liver, where the hepatitis C virus replicates. Medivir expects to communicate the preclinical antiviral and pharmacokinetic profile of MIV-802 at a major scientific meeting in 2015.
“We are very excited by the preclinical profile of MIV-802, which has shown a high level of activity in HCV replication models, attractive pharmacokinetic and distribution properties, and an excellent profile in a wide range of mechanism-dependent and general safety studies. We believe that MIV-802 has the potential to be a very valuable addition to the drugs available for the treatment and cure of patients infected with HCV” said Richard Bethell, EVP Discovery Research, Medivir AB.
* http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs164/en/
For more information, please contact:
Rein Piir, EVP Corporate Affairs & IR, mobile: +46 708 537 292
Medivir is required under the Swedish Securities Market Act to make the information in this press release public. The information was submitted for publication at 08.30 CET on 22 December 2014.
About Medivir
Medivir is an emerging and profitable research‐based pharmaceutical company with an established marketing and sales organisation in the Nordic region with a broad portfolio of prescription pharmaceuticals.
Medivir receives royalties from Johnson & Johnson on the global sales of the hepatitis C pharmaceutical, OLYSIO®. In addition, revenues for sales of OLYSIO in the Nordic region are generated through the company’s own sales and marketing organisation. Medivir’s research and development portfolio of pharmaceuticals is based on the company’s expertise within protease inhibitor design and nucleoside/nucleotide science. The company’s research and development focus is within infectious diseases and oncology and the on-going clinical projects in osteoarthritis and neuropathic pain.
Medivir is listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm Mid Cap List.