RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, USA I August 29, 2014 I BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (BCRX) today announced that the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has awarded a contract modification for an additional $2.4 million to BioCryst to conduct a dose ranging efficacy study of an intramuscular formulation of BCX4430 in non-human primates as a treatment for Ebola virus disease. The study is expected to be initiated within weeks.

The successful completion of an efficacy study in an experimental Ebola virus disease model in non-human primates represents an important next step towards understanding the potential of BCX4430 as a treatment for Ebola disease in humans. NIAID, part of the National Institutes of Health, granted a contract to BioCryst in September 2013 valued up to $22.0 million over five years. With this additional award, the BCX4430 development contract has been increased in value to $24.4 million, if all options are exercised.

This project will be funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. HHSN272201300017C.

About the BSAV Program & BCX4430

The objective of BioCryst’s BSAV research program is to develop broad-spectrum parenteral and oral therapeutics for viruses that pose a threat to health and national security. The lead BSAV compound is BCX4430, an RNA dependent-RNA polymerase inhibitor that has demonstrated broad-spectrum activity against more than 20 RNA viruses in nine different families, including filoviruses, togaviruses, bunyaviruses, arenaviruses, paramyxoviruses, coronaviruses and flaviviruses. BioCryst is developing BCX4430 in collaboration with U.S. Government Agencies following the Animal Rule regulatory pathway.

About BioCryst Pharmaceuticals

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals designs, optimizes and develops novel small molecule drugs that block key enzymes involved in rare diseases. BioCryst currently has several ongoing development programs: oral inhibitors of plasma kallikrein for hereditary angioedema, including BCX4161 and several second generation compounds; peramivir, a viral neuraminidase inhibitor for the treatment of influenza, and BCX4430, a broad spectrum viral RNA polymerase inhibitor. For more information, please visit the Company’s website at www.BioCryst.com.

SOURCE: BioCryst Pharmaceuticals