Toyama Chemical begins U.S. trials of bird flu drug
TOKYO, March 12 (Reuters) - Japanese drug maker Toyama Chemical Co. Ltd. 4518.T said on Monday it had begun phase I trials in the United States of T-705, a drug to combat bird flu and other types of influenza, sending its stock up 6 percent. Toyama Chemical, which is currently in talks with other drug makers about licensing T-705, hopes it will come to market by the business year beginning in April 2009.
Public health experts are concerned that the H5N1 avian virus may develop into a pandemic strain, and are keen to see alternatives developed to Roche's (ROG.VX) Tamiflu, which is at the moment the first line of treatment.
Shown to be effective in treating mice infected with H5N1 avian flu, T-705 has a different mechanism from the current class of drugs approved to treat bird flu.
Those are neuraminidase inhibitors which include Tamiflu, GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK.L) (GSK.N) Relenza and drug candidate peramivir being developed by BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc. (BCRX.O).
Whereas neuraminidase inhibitors slow down viral replication, T-705 is a viral RNA polymerase inhibitor which prevents viral replication.
T-705 is also currently in phase I trials in Japan where it has been put on the Health Ministry's priority list for development.
The stock was up 5.5 percent at 863 yen in early afternoon trade.
((Reporting by Edwina Gibbs, editing by Sophie Hardach; Reuters messaging: edwina.gibbs.reuters.com@reuters.net; email edwina.gibbs.@reuters.com; +81 3 3432-8720)) Keywords: BIRD FLU TOYAMA CHEMICAL/
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