Medivir designates Candidate Drug

Medivir's HIV research programme designates Candidate Drug Medivir has designated a candidate drug (CD), MV026048, for clinical development within its HIV-NNRTI research programme. Designation of a CD means that the project now enters the authority-regulated phase of pharmaceutical development. MV026048 is an extremely potent inhibitor of HIV reverse transcriptase, the indispensable polymerase for HIV. MV026048, a member of the NNRTI class of pharmaceuticals, is active at very low, i.e. sub-nanomolar concentrations, against both wild type virus and also clinical NNRTI- resistant HIV-viruses. Medivir's new CD has very competitive properties in comparison to the NNRTIs already established on the market. Medivir's scientists have succeeded with a compound which is not only extremely potent, but also has very promising pharmaceutical properties assessed in various human-derived systems, representing the latest technology within pharmaceutical development. In contrast to its competitors, the compound has positive properties such as reduced protein binding, increased solubility, no inhibition of important pharmaceutical metabolising enzymes and high metabolic stability. MV026048 also has a very good oral bioavailability and other promising pharmacokinetic properties. An intensive programme is underway for the further development of MV026048, in preparation for commencing clinical trials. Combination treatment with three antivirals has become the norm with HIV/AIDS, inter alia to delay the development of resistant HIV. However, the problem with resistance development and side effects still remains and even triple combinations give rise to resistant HIV. An NNRTI is a component of such combination treatment. The NNRTI market is rapidly expanding and the dominant product, sustiva, sold for around SEK 4 billion, last year. For further information, please contact: Jonas Frick, CEO Medivir, +46 8 608 3100 or Rein Piir, CFO/VP IR Medivir, +46 8 608 3123, +46 708 53 7292 The Medivir group Medivir is an innovative and specialized research company active in the pharmaceuticals sphere, located in Cambridge, UK and Huddinge, Sweden. Medivir's research focuses on the development of new pharmaceutical compounds as inhibitors of target enzymes with protease or polymerase activity. The group comprises Medivir AB, the subsidiaries Medivir UK Ltd. and CCS AB, plus second-tier subsidiaries CCS (UK) Ltd. and Nordic Care Sweden AB (formerly Jillprodukter). Medivir is listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange since 1996. The research portfolio includes projects against HIV, jaundice, shingles, cold sores, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, multiple sclerosis and organ/graft rejection. Medivir has five projects in clinical development. Of these, two are moving towards phase III trials after having completed phase II trials. Two are in phase I and one is in phase II. Medivir's pre-clinical research encompasses a number of projects, of which one is on its way and two are in the lead optimization phase and one is in the late pre-clinical research stage. For more information about Medivir, visit the company's web site at http:// www.medivir.com ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2001/12/06/20011206BIT00450/bit0001.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2001/12/06/20011206BIT00450/bit0001.pdf