Shares of BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (BCRX) rallied 6.9% after the announcement of results from a study on its Ebola virus candidate, BCX4430. The proof-of-concept study evaluating BCX4430 was aimed at determining the candidate’s efficacy in treating experimental Ebola virus infection in rhesus macaques.
The study was conducted at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID).The patients in the study were dosed either placebo or BCX4430 (16 mg/kg or 25 mg/kg) by intramuscular injection.
Results revealed that 4 out of 6 animals in the 16 mg/kg BCX4430 treatment group and all animals (6 out of 6) in the 25 mg/kg group survived at day 41, representing an overall survival rate of 83%. Moreover, preliminary evaluation of the quantity of virus in the blood of animals under BCX4430 treatment showed an approximate 3-log reduction in Ebola virus RNA copies/mL of plasma as compared to control animals.
The candidate is currently in a phase I study in healthy volunteers. Meanwhile, companies like GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) are also in the race of getting their Ebola vaccine candidates approved. We expect investors’ focus to remain on Ebola-related news in the near term.
In a separate development, BioCryst announced the receipt of an orphan drug designation from the FDA for BCX4161 for the prevention of acute attacks of angioedema in patients suffering from hereditary angioedema (HAE).
We note that the FDA grants orphan drug designation to candidates that are being developed to treat rare diseases or conditions affecting less than 200,000 people in the U.S. This status makes the candidate eligible for seven years of marketing exclusivity in the U.S. following approval apart from other benefits.
BioCryst is currently evaluating the efficacy and safety of BCX4161 in the OPuS-2 study in patients suffering from HAE. The candidate demonstrated a statistically significant mean attack rate reduction of 0.45 attacks per patient-week versus placebo in the OPuS-1 study.
Currently approved treatments for HAE includes Shire’s (SHPG) Firazyr.
BioCryst carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A better-ranked stock in the healthcare space is Amgen Inc. (AMGN), which sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
Get all Zacks Research Reports and be alerted to fast-breaking buy and sell opportunities every trading day.
Be the first to comment