Phase IIa results for Miravirsen (Santaris Pharma) show prolonged antiviral activity in Hepatitis C patients

Data from a Phase IIa trial shows that Miravirsen (SPC3649), from Santaris Pharma, given as a four-week monotherapy treatment for Hepatitis C provided robust dose-dependent anti-viral activity with a mean reduction of 2 to 3 logs from baseline in HCV RNA (log10 IU/mL) that was sustained well beyond the end of therapy. The data showed the drug was safe, well tolerated and provided prolonged antiviral activity, with no signs of viral resistance. Additonally, four out of nine patients treated at the highest dose became HCV RNA undetectable during the study, providing clinical evidence that miravirsen's unique mechanism-of-action offers the potential for treatment cures when used as monotherapy. The data was presented by Dr. Henk Reesink, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam at the the International Liver Congress April 2012. Title: "Final Results: Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Safety, Anti-Viral Proof-of-Concept Study of Miravirsen, an Oligonucleotide Targeting miR-122, in Treatment-Naive Patients with Genotype 1 Chronic HCV Infection."