The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded a $102.6 million, four-year contract to BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: BCRX) for advanced development of their influenza antiviral drug, peramivir.
Peramivir, a member of the neuraminidase inhibitor class of influenza antiviral drugs, is being studied as a drug that can be administered parenterally (through intravenous or intramuscular injection).
Parenteral injection may be especially useful in hospital settings where it can be given to persons with life-threatening influenza upon admission to emergency rooms and the potential for high levels of the drug to be achieved rapidly throughout the body and its ability to be administered to people too ill to take medications by mouth.
Previous laboratory studies have shown that peramivir is effective against a number of influenza strains.
The HHS funding will support further studies to determine if peramivir can be an effective treatment for seasonal and life-threatening influenza (including highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza) and maybe to examine the drug's potential use for prophylaxis to protect against influenza infection.
According to HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt:
"Antivirals are an important element of our pandemic influenza preparedness efforts. Our antiviral strategy includes not only stockpiling existing antiviral drugs but also seeking out new antiviral medications to further broaden our capabilities to treat and prevent all forms of influenza."Find more details from the BioCryst press release.
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