The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) provided BioCryst Pharmaceuticals with additional funding on Monday for efficacy studies of BCX4430 in non-human primates to further assist effective dose regimens.
BCX4430 is a broad-spectrum antiviral that is advancing toward completion of a Phase 1 clinical development study of the intramuscular route of administration. It has demonstrated survival benefits in nonclinical studies of infections with a variety of serious pathogens, including Ebola, Zika, Marburg and Yellow Fever.
The additional $5.5 million in funding is intended for the development of BCX4430 as a treatment for hemorrhagic fever viruses. The new total NIAID contract could be valued at up to $39.5 million through the Phase 1 clinical program if all options are exercised.
Additional funds are provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“With these additional funds, BioCryst will continue to evaluate dosing schedules, duration of treatment and delayed dosing from time of infection to support the selection of safe and effective human doses,” William P. Sheridan, chief medical officer at BioCryst, said. “This additional support from NIAID emphasizes the importance of advancing the development of treatment options for deadly emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola virus and Marburg virus.”