DURHAM, N.C., July 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Chimerix, Inc., a biotechnology company developing orally-available antiviral therapeutics, announced today that George Painter, Ph.D., Chairman of the Board and Chief Scientific Officer, will participate on a panel at Infocast’s 9th Annual Biodefense Vaccines & Therapeutics Conference on July 22nd, 2011, 10:30 am ET. The conference is being held at the Almas Temple Club in Washington, D.C. on July 20-22, 2011, and will provide vital information about new public health initiatives to facilitate growth in the nation’s biodefense medical countermeasures pipeline.
Dr. Painter will participate on a panel entitled: “New Approaches to Drug Resistance and Emerging Infectious Disease,” which will focus on the challenge of drug resistance and the public health threats posed by emerging infectious diseases. Discussion topics will include Chimerix’s antiviral development efforts, key challenges that biotechnology companies face in addressing drug resistance, and what companies are looking to obtain from the government and other partners to overcome this challenge.
Chimerix’s lead compound, CMX001, is being developed as a potential broad spectrum oral antiviral for the treatment of life-threatening double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viral diseases, including herpes viruses, adenoviruses and orthopox viruses. CMX001 is also being developed as a biodefense countermeasure in the event of a smallpox release. The growing body of evidence of CMX001’s antiviral activity against all five families of dsDNA viruses that cause morbidity and mortality in humans, including smallpox, has strengthened the compound’s potential as a dual-use product prescribed as a traditional pharmaceutical and stockpiled as a biodefense countermeasure. To date, more than 550 patients have been dosed with CMX001 in ongoing placebo-controlled clinical trials and in open-label treatment protocols for the prophylaxis, preemption and treatment of dsDNA viruses. 250 patients have received CMX001 under Emergency Investigational New Drug Applications (EINDs), including for treatment of orthopox viruses. A significant number of the individuals receiving CMX001 in human testing have been immunocompromised as a result of disease or immunosuppressing therapies associated with stem cell or solid organ transplantation.
Clinical studies of CMX001 include an ongoing Phase 2 study for the prevention/control of cytomegalovirus (a herpes virus) in adult hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients (CMX001-201); a Phase 2 study for the treatment of adenovirus infection in pediatric and adult hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients (AdV HALT Trial/CMX001-202); and an Open-Label Study (CMX001-350) for the treatment of dsDNA viral infections. The open-label study builds on Chimerix’s extensive experience working with over 150 clinicians at over 80 leading institutions in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Israel who have sought CMX001 under EINDs for the treatment of immunocompromised patients.
CMX001 and Smallpox Antiviral Development
CMX001 is a leading antiviral candidate as a medical countermeasure against a smallpox release, including the potential to provide an important therapeutic option for the 80 million people in the U.S. currently estimated to be immunocompromised and thus not candidates to receive a smallpox vaccine. Chimerix has received federal funding for the development of CMX001 as a medical countermeasure against smallpox from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases under Grant No. UO1-AI057233 and from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Office of the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. HHSO100201100013C.
About Chimerix
Chimerix is developing novel antiviral therapeutics with the potential to transform patient care in multiple settings, including transplant, oncology, acute care and global health.
The company’s lead candidate, CMX001, is being developed as a potential broad spectrum antiviral product for the treatment or prevention of life-threatening double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viral diseases. To date, more than 550 patients have been dosed with CMX001 in placebo-controlled clinical trials and open-label treatment protocols, including over 250 individuals who have received CMX001 under Emergency Investigational New Drug Applications (EINDs) or as part of the CMX001-350 Open-Label Study to help treat life-threatening dsDNA viral diseases for which there were no other therapeutic options.
Chimerix’s second clinical-stage antiviral compound, CMX157, a potent nucleoside analogue with in vitro activity against HIV and hepatitis B, has the potential to directly address several limitations of current HIV therapies. Chimerix is developing CMX157 for the treatment of HIV and HBV infections, including those caused by multi-drug resistant viruses. A Phase 1 clinical study has been completed demonstrating that the compound is well tolerated and that the active antiviral, TFV-PP, was measurable in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) after a single dose and remained detectable for six days, indicating that it may be suitable for once-weekly dosing.
Led by a world-class antiviral drug development team, Chimerix is also leveraging the company’s extensive chemical library to pursue new treatments for hepatitis C virus, influenza, malaria and other global public health needs. For additional information on Chimerix, please visit http://www.chimerix.com.
SOURCE Chimerix, Inc.
