Substance ABT 606 against shingles

Phase II clinical trial with Medivir's shingles pharmaceutical ABT-606 has started. The aim of this study is to demonstrate ABT-606's activity against varicella zoster virus infection in patients with shingles. The trial will be performed at a number of centres in the USA and Europe. Medivir's substance ABT-606 against shingles has been licensed to Abbott Laboratories. 'In laboratory studies, ABT-606 has been shown to be more than 20 times more active against VZV than other marketed substances against shingles' says Medivirs Director of Research, Bo Öberg. 'There does not seem to be any other new promising substances against shingles in development apart from ABT-606' says Medivirs CEO Jonas Frick. Shingles affects many persons - todays treatment is insufficiently effective Shingles is a viral disease caused by varicella zoster virus and presents with vesicles which develop into open sores. Almost one in two persons is affected by shingles at some time. In a large number of cases, the disease is associated with pain which can be severe and which in some cases can continue months or even years after the rash has healed. Sales of substances against shingles reached approximately 800 million dollars in 1996. Currently available drugs are not effective enough, especially concerning the relief of the pain which shingles can cause. Medivir is a research and development company. Our business concept is to develop new and better substances for the treatment of infectious diseases and, within the subsidiary CCS, to develop, manufacture, and market skin care products and pharmaceuticals. For more information contact CEO Jonas Frick or Head of Development Johan Harmenberg, phone +46 8 608 31 00, facsimile +46 8 608 31 99.