Completed phase II study with MIV-310 does not justify further development by Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim recently completed a clinical trial of MIV-310 (alovudine) in HIV/AIDS. The efficacy exhibited by MIV-310 at the doses tested showed antiviral activity but did not achieve the target level of efficacy which had previously been defined. Boehringer Ingelheim has therefore decided to stop the development of this investigational drug and to terminate its agreement with Medivir. The phase II clinical programme was a 4 week study designed to demonstrate the anticipated safety and efficacy of MIV-310 in patients with multi-drug resistant HIV, who are therapeutically difficult to treat. MIV-310 at a dose of 2 mg showed antiviral activity comparable to that of drugs already in clinical use and no related serious adverse events were reported. Nevertheless, Medivir has decided to continue focussing its internal resources on the rapidly progressing protease inhibitor projects rather than allocating resources to take on further development of MIV-310. “The rapid progress within our protease inhibitor franchise, validated not least by the recently announced collaboration with Johnson & Johnson, makes the negative news for the Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase (polymerase) inhibitor MIV-310 bearable for the company” comments Medivir’s CEO Lars Adlersson. “We do not intend to deviate from our protease focus and will therefore not dilute our internal resources to further develop MIV-310, even though the efficacy profile per se might have justified this. Potential new licensing partners with other strategies in the HIV area might be viewing investments in MIV-310 differently, but from Medivir’s viewpoint this project is now considered parked.” For further information please contact: Rein Piir CFO / IR Office: +46 8 546 831 23 or Mobile: +46 708 53 72 92 For additional information, please see Medivir’s website www.medivir.com The Medivir Group Medivir is an innovative, specialist research corporation that develops drugs with the objective of becoming a sustainable, profitable pharmaceuticals corporation. Medivir is located in Huddinge, Sweden and near Cambridge, UK. Medivir’s research is oriented on developing new drug compounds based on polymerases and proteases as target enzymes. The group consists of Medivir AB, its subsidiary Medivir UK Ltd. and Medivir Personal AB. As of 31December 2004, the group had 126 employees. Medivir was listed on the Stockholm Exchange O-list in 1996. Medivir’s research portfolio includes projects against HIV, jaundice, shingles, cold sores, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and multiple sclerosis. Medivir has four projects in clinical development phases, each with a unique clinical profile. The company’s broad-based preclinical research portfolio includes six defined projects and nearly ten activities in earlier research phases. Medivir AB (publ), Lunastigen 7, SE-141 44 Huddinge, Sweden, tel (switchboard): +46 (0)8 546 83100