Idenix Pharmaceuticals Advances HCV Discovery Program...( ~ Initiates IDX184 Phase I Clinic...),Health

~ Initiates IDX184 Phase I Clinical Study and Advances HCV Protease Inhibitor and Non-Nucleoside Polymerase Inhibitor Clinical Candidates into

IND-Enabling Preclinical Studies ~

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Idenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: IDIX), a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of drugs for the treatment of human viral and other infectious diseases, today announced that it has initiated a first-in-man study of IDX184 under a United States investigational new drug (IND) application. IDX184 is a once-daily, oral nucleotide prodrug polymerase inhibitor for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. Today, Idenix also announced that is has selected a lead clinical candidate (IDX375) from its HCV non-nucleoside polymerase inhibitor discovery program and has advanced IDX375 into IND-enabling pharmacokinetic and toxicology studies. Idenix has also advanced two protease inhibitor drug candidates (IDX136 and IDX316) into IND-enabling pharmacokinetic and toxicology studies.

"We are pleased with the progress we have made in our hepatitis C discovery program in the past few months," said Jean-Pierre Sommadossi, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Idenix. "With IDX184 entering human testing and clinical candidates undergoing late-stage preclinical testing from our HCV non-nucleoside and protease inhibitor programs, we are progressing toward our ultimate goal of developing a proprietary combination of direct-acting antivirals for the treatment of hepatitis C."

IDX184 Nucleotide Prodrug Polymerase Inhibitor

IDX184 is a once-daily, oral nucleotide prodrug candidate based on Idenix's proprietary liver-targeting technology that has demonstrated HCV
'/>"/>