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(Sharecast News) - hVIVO reported positive results from a phase 2a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) human challenge trial conducted on behalf of Shionogi on Wednesday.
The AIM-traded firm said the trial demonstrated a significant reduction in viral load for Shionogi's investigational oral RSV antiviral candidate, S-337395, which had received fast track designation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
It said the randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind study, conducted by hVIVO's FluCamp volunteer recruitment arm, evaluated S-337395's antiviral efficacy and safety when administered orally once daily for five days.
The treatment group achieved a statistically significant reduction in viral load compared to placebo, meeting the primary endpoint.
It said the highest dose group recorded an 88.94% reduction in viral load, alongside a significant improvement in clinical symptom scores.
The drug was generally well tolerated, with no serious or severe adverse events and no dose-dependent increase in adverse event incidence or severity.
hVIVO highlighted the findings as further validation of the role human challenge trials played in accelerating drug development by generating rapid efficacy data and reducing risks in later-stage trials.
To date, it has conducted 30 RSV challenge trials with around 2,000 healthy volunteers, helping to advance multiple RSV antiviral and vaccine candidates.
"These results demonstrate the power of human challenge trials in accelerating the development of much-needed RSV treatments," said hVIVO's chief scientific officer Dr Andrew Catchpole.
"The significant reduction in viral load and improvement in clinical symptoms observed with S-337395 demonstrate the potential of this antiviral candidate to address the urgent need for effective RSV therapies.
"At hVIVO, we are proud to leverage our decades of experience in human challenge trials to support innovative drug development, helping to bring promising new treatments to patients faster."
At 1056 GMT, shares in hVIVO were down 0.8% at 18.7p.
Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.