Anadys Pharmaceuticals Announces Positive Results for ANA598 in Animal Model of Chronic Hepatitis C Virus...( ANA598 demonstrates signific...),Health

ANA598 demonstrates significant antiviral activity in vivo

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANDS) announced preliminary data today from two studies of ANA598, a non-nucleoside inhibitor of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5B polymerase, in a primate model of chronic HCV infection.

Two animals chronically infected with HCV genotype 1b each received once-daily oral doses of ANA598 at 30 mg/kg for four days. A rapid viral load decline was seen in both animals. At 48 hours (24 hours after the second dose), viral load declines were 2.2 and 2.6 log10 in the individual animals. In one animal the viral load reduction was sustained throughout the remaining dosing period, while in the second animal a modest rise in viral load was seen over days 3 and 4, although the rise observed (0.6 log10) was within the baseline variability seen in this animal prior to dosing.

In a previous study conducted to assess the pharmacokinetics (PK), safety, tolerability and preliminary antiviral activity of ANA598, two HCV genotype 1a infected animals received a single oral dose of ANA598 at 30 mg/kg. At 24 hours after dosing, plasma levels of ANA598 exceeded the replicon EC95 values. At 48 hours after dosing, the mean viral load decline in the two animals was 1.0 log10. ANA598 was well tolerated by all of the animals in both studies.

"These positive animal efficacy data reinforce our continued enthusiasm for development of ANA598 as a potential new direct antiviral treatment for chronic HCV," said Steve Worland, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Anadys. "The rapid viral load decline and the favorable PK, safety and tolerability profile demonstrated in these animal efficacy stu
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