Shionogi’s Flu Drug as Effective as Tamiflu in Tests (Update4)
 

Source: Bloomberg

By Kanoko Matsuyama

July 17 (Bloomberg) -- Shionogi & Co., a Japanese drugmaker, said its experimental influenza drug was as effective as Roche Holding AG’s Tamiflu in treating flu patients in the last stage of patient studies required for regulatory approval.

Shionogi’s peramivir, in phase-three testing, took a median of 78 hours to relieve symptoms of seasonal influenza in patients who were given 300-milligram doses and 81 hours for 600 milligrams, the company said in a statement today. That compares with 81.8 hours for Tamiflu, of which patients took 75 milligrams twice a day for five days.

The Osaka-based company plans to file its data to Japan’s health ministry for marketing approval of the drug this year, Shionogi spokesman Masahiro Fujita said by telephone.

In March 2007, Shionogi agreed to pay as much as $35 million to Birmingham, Alabama-based BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc. for rights to develop and sell intravenous-drip peramivir in Japan and Taiwan.

BioCryst rose $1.73, or 41 percent, to $5.95 at 4 p.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market composite trading. The stock has more than doubled in the past 12 months.

Shionogi rose 2.9 percent to close at 1,831 yen on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the biggest gain since May 25. The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average advanced 0.6 percent.