Maxwell Biotech Venture Fund's Portfolio Company Hepatera Announces Initiation of a Pilot Clinical Trial Of Myrcludex B In Patients With HDV

MOSCOW, April 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --



Hepatera Ltd. announces initiation of a clinical trial investigating Myrcludex B in chronically HBV infected patients who are also infected with hepatitis delta virus (HDV). Hepatera is financed by Maxwell Biotech Venture Fund formed with the participation of RVC - Russia's government fund of venture capital funds. Hepatera was founded in 2011 with the goal of developing and launching innovative therapeutics for the treatment of liver diseases into the Russian market.

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Myrcludex B is a novel drug candidate for the treatment of chronic viral hepatitis B and D. The drug inhibits the entry mechanism of the virus. Hepatera is co-developing the drug with MYR GmbH, a German biotech company initially funded by High-Tech Gruenderfonds (HTGF), one of Europe's largest venture funds.

Stephen Locarnini, Head of Research at the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, and a member of MYR`s Clinical Advisory Board said "Myrcludex B has the potential to bring benefit to this often desperate population and to change treatment standard for these patients."  

HDV, which is very difficult to treat, affects five to 10 percent of chronically HBV infected patients. Fast track regulatory procedures will be possible given the high degree of unmet medical need.

The ongoing study will investigate the effects of Myrcludex in combination with pegylated interferon, and the use of the entry inhibitor as pre-treatment before interferon therapy is initiated. The enrollment of all patients will be completed in April 2014. First results are expected in Q3 2014.

"The study explores a second important indication for Myrcludex B, with a chance to achieve early market access and revenue generation," - said Alexander Alexandrov, Medical Director of MYR GmbH. "The results of this trial will provide additional important information on our potentially landscape-changing compound and will be used for the preparation of the pivotal studies."

Contact:
Hepatera
Oksana Markova, CEO
Office: +7(495)4116992
e-mail: [email protected]

MYR GmbH:
Dr. med. Alexander Alexandrov, Medical Director/COO
Office: +49-61726816565
E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Russian Venture Company