AVIRAGEN THERAPEUTICS INC
ATLANTA, July 05, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aviragen Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVIR) (formerly Biota Pharmaceuticals, Inc.), a pharmaceutical company that is developing the next generation of antivirals, today announced that it has entered into an exclusive, worldwide license and sponsored research agreement with Georgia State University Research Foundation (GSURF) to jointly develop and commercialize respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) replication inhibitors discovered by Professor Richard Plemper and his team in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) at Georgia State University.
“We are thrilled to begin this collaboration with Dr. Plemper as we broaden our internal efforts to develop RSV non-fusion inhibitor compounds to complement BTA585, our fusion inhibitor currently in a Phase 2a clinical trial,” said Joseph M. Patti, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Aviragen Therapeutics. “This collaboration with the outstanding team at GSURF will add to Aviragen’s growing portfolio of novel antivirals, focused on addressing respiratory infections with significant unmet clinical needs.”
“My group has generated a portfolio of next generation RSV drug candidates. We are excited to partner with Aviragen to jointly develop the full clinical potential of these inhibitors,” said Richard Plemper, Ph.D., Principal Investigator and head of a drug discovery laboratory at the IBMS. “RSV infection can be particularly devastating to infants and the elderly. By joining forces with Aviragen, we will apply our highly complementary sets of expertise in an effort to address the problem.”
Dr. Plemper’s research focuses on clinically significant members of the myxovirus families such as influenza virus and RSV. Studying the molecular replication mechanism of these pathogens, his laboratory has developed innovative drug screening technologies for the identification and characterization of much-needed novel therapeutics.
About Aviragen Therapeutics, Inc.
Aviragen Therapeutics is focused on the discovery and development of the next generation of direct-acting antivirals to treat infections that have limited therapeutic options and affect a significant number of patients globally. The Company has three product candidates in active clinical development: vapendavir, an oral treatment for human rhinovirus upper (HRV) respiratory infections in moderate-to-severe asthmatics currently being evaluated in the Phase 2b SPIRITUS trial; BTA585, an oral fusion protein inhibitor that has received Fast Track designation by the U.S. FDA, in Phase 2 development for the treatment and prevention of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections; and BTA074, a topical antiviral treatment in Phase 2 development for condyloma caused by human papillomavirus types 6 & 11. For additional information about the Company, please visit www.aviragentherapeutics.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties concerning Aviragen Therapeutics' business, operations and financial performance. Any statements that are not of historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Various important factors could cause actual results, performance, events or achievements to materially differ from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements, including: the Company, the FDA or a similar regulatory body in another country, a data safety monitoring board, or an institutional review board delaying, limiting, suspending or terminating the clinical development of any of the Company's product candidates at any time for a lack of safety, tolerability, regulatory or manufacturing issues, or any other reason whatsoever; the Company's ability to secure, manage and retain qualified third-party clinical research data management and contract manufacturing organizations upon which it relies to assist in the design, development, implementation and execution of the clinical development of all its product candidates and those organizations' ability to successfully execute their contracted responsibilities; the Company's ability to comply with applicable government regulations in various countries and regions in which we are conducting, or expect to conduct, clinical trials; and other cautionary statements contained elsewhere in this press release and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and our other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. There may be events in the future that the Company is unable to predict, or over which it has no control, and the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may change in the future. The Company may not update these forward-looking statements more frequently than quarterly unless it has an obligation under U.S. Federal securities laws to do so.
Contacts: Mark Colonnese Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Aviragen Therapeutics, Inc. (678) 221-3381 mcolonnese@aviragentherapeutics.com Beth DelGiacco Stern Investor Relations, Inc. (212) 362-1200 beth@sternir.com
