MOSCOW, RUSSIA--(Marketwired - November 20, 2013) - Today at the 4th annual Innovative Drug Research and Development in Russia Forum, Viriom LLC -- a ChemRar company announced the signing of a global expansion of Viriom’s commercial rights to VM-1500, an innovative Roche candidate NNRTI (non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor). In 2009, Viriom and Roche concluded a regional license to VM-1500 for treatment of HIV. Under the amendment Viriom receives exclusive global rights to VM-1500 in all therapeutic indications and drug combinations.
Viriom has completed preclinical studies and early clinical trials of VM1500 safety and efficacy, and is engaged in advanced international clinical trials for fixed and variable drug combinations of VM1500.
Early clinical results to date demonstrated superiority of VM-1500 over existing treatments in the same class in terms of efficacy against HIV-1, including mutants, resistant to other NNRTIs. The investigational drug demonstrated a good safety and tolerability profile as well as favorable pharmacokinetic properties in healthy volunteers and in patients with chronic HIV-1 infection under a single-dose and repeated oral dosing. Presently VM-1500 offers the potential to be a best in class NNRTI for HIV/AIDS.
Milos Petrovic, Head of Roche Representative Office in Russia: “We are satisfied with the results achieved, which very well prove that we have made a right choice by choosing Viriom as a partner for the development of an innovative anti-HIV drug. In general we see the international cooperation between Roche and Viriom as an example of successful partnership of two biotechnological companies focused on searching new approaches for treatment of the most complicated, socially important diseases. We believe that this perspective product has a great future and that it will add contribution to increasing access of patients in Russia and in other countries to the modern differentiated therapies”.
Nikolay Savchuk, Chairman of the Board at Viriom and Board Member of ChemRar HighTech Center commented: “I am pleased to note that Viriom’s pioneering experience in technology transfer of an innovative therapy gained a significant scientific validation and support in the framework of Pharma 2020 program in Russia. As a result Viriom obtained full further support from ChemRar and Roche. We are very satisfied with the Roche-ChemRar partnership, which is a critical step in the process of modernization of the Russian healthcare system, accessibility to modern therapies for treatment and prevention as well as reducing mortality rates and increasing the quality of life”.
About HIV/AIDS
According to data from WHO and UNICEF, HIV remains one of the major global public health problems. Over the last three decades the virus has claimed over 25 million lives. In 2011, there were estimated about 34 million people living with HIV. This fact shows that the HIV pandemic is one of the deadliest epidemics in human history.
The most affected region is Africa south of Sahara where almost one in twenty adult has HIV. In this region 69 % of people live with HIV. There is no a cure against HIV infection but thanks to effective antiretroviral treatment it is possible to control the virus and people with HIV can have a healthy and productive life. In 2012, antiretroviral therapy ( ART) was received by more than 9.7 million people living with HIV. Despite the measures taken, the scale of the HIV epidemic in Russia is not reduced and as of November 2012 it was officially registered 703 thousand people living with HIV (source http://www.hivrussia.org/stat/2012-3.html).
About Viriom
Viriom Ltd. is a ChemRar company involved in developing innovative antiviral drugs and combinations, treatment methods, and diagnostics. Viriom conducts scientific research in Russia, using the experience and knowledge of Russian scientists, and abroad within the framework of a broad international partnership. The Viriom project was approved by the Russian President’s Commission on Modernization. The ChemDiv Research Institute is a major partner in pre-clinical and clinical research. Clinical studies within Russia are conducted at regional centers and on the campus of the Moscow City Center for Preventing and Fighting AIDS. Among Viriom’s international partners are Roche, Fox Chase Cancer Center (Philadelphia, PA), the Scripps Research Institute (San Diego, CA), the Moscow Physics and Technology Institute, and the M.P. Chumakov Institute for Poliomyelitis and Viral Encephalitis (Moscow, Russia) www.viriom.com
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Elena Surina
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