Open Orphan subsidiary signs €8.7m human challenge study contract

Cathal Friel

Ellie Donnelly Twitter Email

March 26 2021 07:56 AM

A subsidiary of Dublin-listed Open Orphan has entered into a contract with a biotechnology company to run a human viral challenge study for a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) treatment.

The total contract value is £7.5m (€8.7m) and the study is due to start later this year.

The US biotechnology company that Open Orphan has the agreement with is developing a product for the prevention and treatment of acute and chronic respiratory syncytial virus infections.

RSV is a contagious virus that affects the respiratory tract of children and at-risk older adults, in severe cases, it can cause pneumonia and other major breathing difficulties.

There is currently no prophylactic or specific treatment on the market for RSV, according to a statement from Open Orphan.

The majority of the revenues will be recognised this year, Open Orphan said.

The product is expected to have substantial advantages with respect to potency, safety, tolerability and convenience while fully maintaining efficacy when compared to other similar products, according to the Dublin-listed company.

Cathal Friel, executive chairman of Open Orphan, said: "This is another substantial and significant contract win for hVIVO and Open Orphan. Through signing these deals, we continue to reinforce our position as the clear world leader in human challenge studies.”

“hVIVO is currently the only company worldwide that can facilitate RSV challenge studies and we are in advance negotiations with all the significant RSV vaccine and drug developers globally. Our multiple state-of-the-art East London quarantine facilities are well equipped to carry out this study in a safe and controlled clinical environment," Mr Friel added.