Open Orphan plc announced that hVIVO, a subsidiary of Open Orphan, has signed a £7.2 million contract with an existing top 5 global pharmaceutical company to test its orally administered antiviral product, using hVIVO's respiratory syncytial virus ("RSV") Human Challenge Study Model. The Phase 2a double-blinded placebo-controlled human challenge studywill take place at the Company's specialist quarantine facilities in Whitechapel and will evaluate the safety and efficacy profile of the antiviral against RSV. The study will commence in June 2022, with the revenue being recognised in 2022 and 2023.

As part of the study, hVIVO will recruit healthy volunteers via the Company's dedicated volunteer recruitment arm, FluCamp. The client's antiviral is presently in Phase III clinical trials for another infectious disease indication and the client will use human challenge to assess the efficacy of their antiviral drug candidate against RSV quickly and efficiently, highlighting the value that human challenge studies can bring within the drug development process. The repeat business from this top 5 global pharmaceutical company underlines the Company's world leading expertise and its ability to attract additional contracts from its existing Big Pharma clients.