't zal maar gebeuren schreef op 8 februari 2016 14:27:
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc. on Monday reported disappointing mid-stage study results for its drug to treat a rare genetic condition characterized by swelling of the face and airways.
Following the news, shares of BioCryst fell 60% to $2.48 in premarket trading. Such a move when trading opens at 9:30 a.m. ET would reduce BioCryst's market value to about $182 million from $450 million on Friday.
In the trial, BioCryst administered avoralstat three times daily to patients suffering from hereditary angioedema attacks. The primary goals of the study were to characterize the efficacy of avoralstat in reducing the frequency of angioedema attacks, and to evaluate the safety and tolerability of 12 weeks of avoralstat treatment.
"OPuS-2 was a well-designed and executed trial that gave us a clear answer; this dosage form of avoralstat isn't a viable formulation to move forward," Chief Executive Jon Stonehouse said. The CEO said BioCryst expects results from a study testing a new dosage of avoralstat by midyear.
In the trial, 38 patients received 500 milligrams of avoralstat, while 36 took 300 milligrams and 36 subjects were given a placebo. Treatments with 500 milligrams and 300 milligrams of avoralstat three times daily failed to demonstrate a statistically significantly lower mean attack rate versus placebo.
BioCryst, based in Durham, N.C., has three treatments for hereditary angioedema in its pipeline. The company is also developing an antiviral drug and in 2014 won U.S. Food & Drug Administration approval for its flu treatment Rapivab.
The company's stock already has fallen 40% over the past 12 months through Friday's close.
Write to Lisa Beilfuss at
lisa.beilfuss@wsj.com(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 08, 2016 08:25 ET (13:25 GMT)
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