RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Dec. 15, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:BCRX) today announced the dosing of the first subject in a randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate intramuscular (I.M.) administration of BCX4430 in healthy volunteers. BCX4430 is being developed as a potential treatment for hemorrhagic fever viruses, including Ebola virus and Marburg virus disease.

The main goals of this first-in-human study are to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of escalating doses of BCX4430 administered via I.M. injection in healthy subjects. In part one of the study, subjects will receive a single dose of BCX4430; in part two of the study, subjects will receive BCX4430 for seven days. Up to six single-dose cohorts and four multiple-dose cohorts will be evaluated, with a total of up to 88 volunteers participating. Study details are available on www.clinicaltrials.gov.

This project is funded with Federal funds from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. HHSN272201300017C.

About BCX4430

BCX4430 is an RNA dependent-RNA polymerase inhibitor that has demonstrated broad-spectrum activity in vitro against more than 20 RNA viruses in nine different families, including filoviruses, togaviruses, bunyaviruses, arenaviruses, paramyxoviruses, coronaviruses and flaviviruses. BioCryst is developing BCX4430 in collaboration with U.S. Government Agencies.

About BioCryst Pharmaceuticals

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals designs, optimizes and develops novel small molecule drugs that block key enzymes involved in rare diseases. BioCryst currently has several ongoing development programs: oral inhibitors of plasma kallikrein for hereditary angioedema, including BCX4161 and several second generation compounds; RAPIVABTM (peramivir injection), a viral neuraminidase inhibitor for the treatment of influenza, and BCX4430, a broad spectrum viral RNA polymerase inhibitor. For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.BioCryst.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding future results, performance or achievements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause BioCryst's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are based on assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Some of the factors that could affect the forward-looking statements contained herein include: ; that the Company or its licensees may not commence as expected additional pre-clinical studies or human clinical trials; that the planned studies may not be successful or may not be successfully completed; that the FDA may require additional studies beyond those planned for BCX4430, or may not provide regulatory clearances which may result in delay of planned clinical trials, or may impose a clinical hold on BCX4430, or withhold market approval for BCX4430; that the Company may not be able to obtain additional funding for BCX4430; that government funding or other contracts for BCX4430 may have certain terms and conditions, including termination provisions, that subject the Company to additional risks; that the Company may lose current funding for the program. Please refer to the documents BioCryst files periodically with the Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically BioCryst's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K, all of which identify important factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those contained in BioCryst's projections and forward-looking statements.

CONTACT: Robert Bennett, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, +1-919-859-7910

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