EXTON, Pa., April 28 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- ViroPharma Incorporated (Nasdaq:VPHM) today announced that its scientists are currently evaluating compounds from its chemical library for potential inhibitors of the recently identified coronavirus that is believed to cause severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is an RNA virus, a virus group for which ViroPharma has substantial expertise in antiviral drug discovery and development.
ViroPharma is collaborating with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) in Frederick, Maryland on this program. USAMRIID and ViroPharma have together established a high capacity testing assay and are evaluating compounds provided by ViroPharma in an effort to discover specific antiviral compounds that prevent SARS-CoV from attacking healthy human cells.
"SARS is a global health threat for which there is an extremely urgent need to find effective antivirals that specifically target the SARS virus," said Marc Collett, Ph.D. ViroPharma's vice-president of Discovery Research. "The SARS virus is an RNA virus, a virus type with which we have considerable experience in discovering and developing antivirals. ViroPharma is well positioned to apply its technologies and expertise in the area of RNA virology toward developing antiviral drugs for this virus. This is a high priority for us and we are working expeditiously with the government in our efforts to find an effective treatment for SARS."
ViroPharma also is working with the government and others in the area of biodefense and in 2002 initiated a program to discover and advance potential antiviral product candidates that address National Institutes of Health "category A viruses," which include smallpox virus and viral hemorrhagic fever viruses (Ebola, Lassa and Rift Valley fever viruses). Last fall, ViroPharma applied to be considered for government funding to help defray the costs of advancing this program.
The probability of discovering an active compound, as well as any development path or timetable for any active compound that may be discovered, in ViroPharma's SARS and biodefense efforts are uncertain.
About ViroPharma Incorporated
ViroPharma Incorporated is committed to the commercialization, development and discovery of antiviral pharmaceuticals. ViroPharma is currently focused on drug development and discovery activities in hepatitis C, and also is pursuing clinical development activities to treat diseases caused by picornavirus infections. The company's lead HCV compound is in human clinical trials, and the company is considering the development of Picovir™ to treat patients suffering from severe or life-threatening enteroviral infections.
About U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases
USAMRIID conducts basic and applied research on biological threats resulting in medical solutions to protect the warfighter. As the Department of Defense's lead laboratory for medical aspects of biological warfare defense, USAMRIID collaborates with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the World Health Organization, the Department of Energy, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and academic centers of excellence worldwide. USAMRIID also serves as a reference laboratory for the CDC and the WHO.
The information contained in this press release does not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the Government and no official endorsement should be inferred.
This press release contains forward-looking statements, such as the Company's plan to continue to work with the government to assist in the discovery and development of a treatment for SARS and the Company's plan to discover and advance potential antiviral product candidates in a biodefense initiative. The Company's efforts in SARS and biodefense are discovery stage programs, and as such are subject to risks and uncertainties. The discovery of active compounds, advancing promising active compounds through preclinical development and clinical development, and pursuing regulatory approval of product candidates that appear to demonstrate the requisite safety and efficacy, requires considerable time and expense. There can be no assurance that ViroPharma's efforts in SARS or biodefense will yield positive results, will result in effective treatments in a timely manner, if at all, or that the FDA would approve any such SARS or biodefense product candidate. These factors, and other factors, including, but not limited to those described in ViroPharma's most recent annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, could cause future results to differ materially from the expectations expressed in this press release. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release may become outdated over time. ViroPharma does not assume any responsibility for updating any forward-looking statements.