Enanta Pharmaceuticals Announces Efforts to Discover a Treatment for the Novel Coronavirus Disease COVID-19
March 13 2020 - 7:00AM
Business Wire
Company Leverages Proven Antiviral and
Respiratory Expertise to Evaluate Existing Compounds and New
Approaches for Treating the Novel Coronavirus Disease COVID-19
Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENTA), a clinical-stage
biotechnology company dedicated to creating small molecule drugs
for viral infections and liver diseases, today announced that it
has initiated a program to discover direct-acting antiviral drug
candidates for the treatment of patients infected with the novel
coronavirus COVID-19, also known as SARS-CoV-2.
The company is leveraging its years of expertise in virology,
including its discovery work on two approved protease inhibitors –
paritaprevir and glecaprevir – for use against hepatitis C virus
(HCV), its development of a candidate for hepatitis B virus (HBV),
and most importantly, its development of candidates for respiratory
syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (hMPV), to explore
approaches against this pandemic health threat.
Enanta is taking a two-pronged approach to its COVID-19
discovery efforts. It is testing compounds from its antiviral
compound library for potential activity against COVID-19. It is
also initiating a drug discovery program using its expertise in
direct-acting antiviral mechanisms to discover new candidates to
treat COVID-19.
“Based on our proven track record in virology and our
capabilities in respiratory diseases, we believe our core
competencies position us well to discover a potential treatment for
COVID-19,” said Jay Luly, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive
Officer of Enanta. “Our decision to initiate a program for COVID-19
is a natural evolution of our work and mission. Not only has Enanta
already worked on the discovery of two direct-acting antivirals for
HCV, we have an HBV treatment in clinical development, as well as
expertise in RSV, a common illness in children that is also
responsible for an estimated 177,000 older adult hospitalizations
and 14,000 deaths annually in the U.S. More recently, we also
started a program for hMPV, which like RSV, can cause severe
respiratory tract infections in children, elderly and
immunocompromised individuals."
Enanta’s decision to initiate a program for COVID-19 comes only
a few months after the company initiated “RSVP,” a Phase 2b study
in adult outpatients with community-acquired RSV. The company also
plans to initiate a Phase 2 dose ranging study in pediatric RSV
patients and a Phase 2 study in adult transplant patients with RSV.
Similar to the emerging patient profile of COVID-19, older adults
and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for RSV,
which is an illness that also affects children and for which there
are no safe and effective treatments.
About Coronavirus Disease
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused
by a new virus (SARS-CoV-2) that had not been previously identified
in humans. Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted
between animals and people. Common signs of infection include
respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and
breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause
pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and
even death.
About Enanta
Enanta is using its robust, chemistry-driven approach and drug
discovery capabilities to become a leader in the discovery and
development of small molecule drugs for the treatment of viral
infections and liver diseases. Enanta’s research and development
efforts have produced clinical candidates for the following disease
targets: respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), non-alcoholic
steatohepatitis (NASH)/primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), hepatitis
B virus (HBV), human metapneumovirus (hMPV) and emerging
coronaviruses.
Enanta’s research and development activities are funded by
royalties from hepatitis C virus (HCV) products developed under its
collaboration with AbbVie. Glecaprevir, a protease inhibitor
discovered by Enanta and now marketed by AbbVie as part of its
leading treatment for chronic HCV infection, is sold under the
brand names MAVYRET® (U.S.) and MAVIRET® (ex-U.S.)
(glecaprevir/pibrentasvir). Please visit www.enanta.com for more
information.
Forward Looking Statements Disclaimer
This press release contains forward-looking statements,
including statements with respect to Enanta’s new research program
for 2019-nCoV. Statements that are not historical facts are based
on management’s current expectations, estimates, forecasts and
projections about Enanta’s business and the industry in which it
operates and management’s beliefs and assumptions. The statements
contained in this release are not guarantees of future performance
and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which are
difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may
differ materially from what is expressed in such forward-looking
statements. Important factors and risks that may affect actual
results include: the development risks of early stage discovery
efforts for a disease that is still little understood; the impact
of development efforts and regulatory developments with respect to
competitive treatments for coronavirus; intense competition from
other companies developing potential therapeutics and vaccines for
2019-nCoV; Enanta’s need to attract and retain senior management
and key scientific personnel; and other risk factors described or
referred to in “Risk Factors” in Enanta’s most recent Form 10-Q for
the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2019 and any other periodic
reports filed more recently with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. Enanta cautions investors not to place undue reliance
on the forward-looking statements contained in this release. These
statements speak only as of the date of this release, and Enanta
undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements,
except as may be required by law.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200313005144/en/
Media and Investor Contact Jennifer Viera 617-744-3848
jviera@enanta.com
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