March 24, 2014
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 24, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Idenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:IDIX), a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of drugs for the treatment of human viral diseases, today announced three poster presentations featuring clinical and preclinical data for the Company's nucleotide prodrug, IDX21437, and for samatasvir, Idenix's once-daily pan-genotypic NS5A inhibitor, at The International Liver Congress™ 2014, the 49th annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), taking place in London, April 9-13, 2014. Full abstracts can now be viewed at the EASL Congress website.
The following abstracts will be presented in poster sessions during The International Liver Congress™ 2014 on Saturday, April 12, 2014, 9:00 am – 6:00 pm BST:
- Poster No. 1244: Gupta et al. "Favorable Preclinical Profile of IDX21437, a Novel Uridine Nucleotide Prodrug, for Use in a Direct-Acting Antiviral (DAA) Regimen for HCV."
- Poster No. 1221: Zhou et al. "Pharmacokinetic (PK) Drug-Drug Interaction between Samatasvir (IDX719), a Pan-Genotypic NS5A Inhibitor, and Simeprevir in Healthy Volunteers and HCV-Infected Subjects."
- Poster No. 1222: Lawitz et al. "A Phase II Study of Samatasvir (IDX719) in Combination with Simeprevir and Ribavirin in Treatment-Naïve HCV-Infected Subjects with Genotypes 1b and 4 (HELIX-1 Study)."
ABOUT IDX21437
IDX21437, a next-generation uridine nucleotide prodrug inhibitor, has completed the single-dose portion of a phase I/II clinical trial and is currently being evaluated in the seven-day proof-of-concept portion of the trial, with results expected in the first half of 2014. Extensive preclinical testing for IDX21437 has demonstrated favorable antiviral activity across genotypes 1-6 and a safety profile which supported advancement into clinical trials. Based on this progress, the Company's goal is to initiate an Idenix-sponsored combination clinical trial of IDX21437 and samatasvir in mid-2014.
ABOUT SAMATASVIR
Samatasvir is an NS5A inhibitor with low picomolar, pan-genotypic antiviral activity in vitro. To date, samatasvir has been safe and well-tolerated after single and multiple doses of up to 150 mg in healthy volunteers up to 14 days duration, and in HCV-infected patients up to 12 weeks duration. There have been no treatment-related serious adverse events reported in the program. Samatasvir has demonstrated potent pan-genotypic antiviral activity in HCV-infected patients with mean maximal viral load reductions up to approximately 4.0 log10 IU/mL across HCV genotypes 1-4 in a proof-of-concept, three-day monotherapy study.
Under a non-exclusive collaboration with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Idenix is evaluating all-oral, direct-acting antiviral HCV combination regimens including samatasvir, simeprevir (TMC435), a once-daily protease inhibitor jointly developed by Janssen R&D Ireland and Medivir AB, and TMC647055/r, a once-daily non-nucleoside polymerase inhibitor boosted with low-dose ritonavir being developed by Janssen. In this program, Idenix is conducting two ongoing phase II 12-week clinical trials, HELIX-1 and HELIX-2.
ABOUT HEPATITIS C
Hepatitis C virus is a common blood-borne pathogen infecting three to four million people worldwide annually. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 150 million people worldwide are chronically infected with HCV, representing a nearly 5-fold greater prevalence than human immunodeficiency virus.
ABOUT IDENIX
Idenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc., headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a biopharmaceutical Company engaged in the discovery and development of drugs for the treatment of human viral diseases. Idenix's current focus is on the treatment of patients with hepatitis C infection. For further information about Idenix, please refer to www.idenix.com.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" for purposes of the safe harbor provisions of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to the statements regarding the Company's future business and financial performance. For this purpose, any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, the words "expect," "plans," "anticipates," "intends," "will," and similar expressions are also intended to identify forward-looking statements, as are expressed or implied statements with respect to the Company's potential pipeline candidates, including any expressed or implied statements regarding the efficacy and safety of IDX21437, samatasvir or any other drug candidate; the successful development of novel combinations of direct-acting antivirals for the treatment of HCV; and the likelihood and success of any future clinical trials involving samatasvir, IDX21437or our other drug candidates. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to the following: there can be no guarantees that the Company will advance any clinical product candidate or other component of its potential pipeline to the clinic, to the regulatory process or to commercialization; uncertainties relating to, or unsuccessful results of, clinical trials, including additional data relating to the ongoing clinical trials evaluating its product candidates; and the Company's ability to obtain, maintain and enforce patent and other intellectual property protection for its product candidates and its discoveries. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. These and other risks which may impact management's expectations are described in greater detail under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and in any subsequent periodic or current report that the Company files with the SEC.
All forward-looking statements reflect the Company's estimates only as of the date of this release (unless another date is indicated) and should not be relied upon as reflecting the Company's views, expectations or beliefs at any date subsequent to the date of this release. While Idenix may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, even if the Company's estimates change.
Idenix Pharmaceuticals Contact:
Teri Dahlman (617) 995-9807
