Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2001. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
PRNewswire - December 17, 2001
Achillion's presentation summarized the results of its Phase 1 study of ACH-126,443 (beta-L-Fd4C), an L-nucleoside analog with potent in vitro activity against both chronic hepatitis B (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In the trial, six dose levels of ACH-126,443 were evaluated in healthy volunteers. Pharmacokinetic data, also known as drug blood level data, collected from the study demonstrated ideal absorption of the compound into the bloodstream, and the ability of the drug candidate to be dosed once daily.
"The blood concentrations achieved in this single dose administration of ACH-126,443 exceeded the quantities required in pre-clinical studies to suppress wild-type and 3TC-resistant HBV infection, two of the most common forms of hepatitis B virus," said William G. Rice, Achillion's CEO. "We are currently evaluating the compound in a Phase 1b/2 study in patients with chronic HBV infection, and we are aggressively advancing this drug candidate into additional clinical studies."
"The pharmacokinetic data on ACH-126,443 obtained from this study show that it can be given once daily, and the data provide key information to help identify the efficacious dose in later phase 2 studies," commented Lisa Dunkle, MD, Achillion's Senior Vice President of Drug Development. "Our on-going study in HBV infected patients will provide us with additional data to determine optimal dosing to support additional clinical trials in patients infected with HIV as well as HBV."
Achillion is a privately held pharmaceutical company dedicated to addressing the emerging issue of drug resistance in infectious diseases. The Company focuses on the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative small molecule anti-infective agents, with a particular emphasis on antiviral drugs to treat diseases caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV) and herpes viruses. Achillion's drug development pipeline is led by ACH-126,443 (beta-L-Fd4C), which is currently in Phase 1b/2 clinical trials in chronic hepatitis B patients. Achillion's drug discovery expertise embodies both a conventional medicinal chemistry approach directed at classic anti-infective molecular targets, and its novel Zinc Finger Targeting (ZFT) drug discovery technology focusing on novel proteins containing zinc finger motifs.
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Such statements are only predictions and the company's actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such differences include the risk that products that appeared promising in early research and clinical trials do not demonstrate safety or efficacy in larger-scale clinical trials and the risk that the company will not obtain approval to market its products.
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