BioCryst's investigational H1N1 drug granted Emergency Use OK |
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| By Staff and Wire Reports | |
| Saturday, 24 October 2009 06:51 | |
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Specifically, i.v. peramivir is authorized only for hospitalized adult and pediatric patients for whom therapy with an i.v. drug is clinically appropriate, based on one or more of the following reasons:
Additional information regarding the peramivir EUA is available on the Web at: In advance of any U.S. Government order that may come from the ongoing request for proposal (RFP) negotiations, BioCryst has donated and transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) an initial supply sufficient for 1,200 courses of i.v. peramivir 600 mg once-daily for five days. This transfer was made under the development contract with HHS to allow doctors and patients near-term access to the drug, and is separate from the RFP process. "The issuance of this EUA is important because it makes peramivir a treatment option for physicians in the U.S. during the ongoing influenza health emergency," said Jon P. Stonehouse, Chief Executive Officer at BioCryst. "BioCryst has worked with HHS to enable the Government to rapidly deploy an initial supply of peramivir, and we are prepared to deliver more." A recent New York Times article points out that Peramivir is a drug that works the same way as Tamiflu and Relenza but is given intravenously.An infusion of the drug delivers a quick jolt of drug to desperately ill patients who cannot swallow Tamiflu capsules or inhale Relenza. A study conducted in Asia showed that a single 15- to 30-minute infusion of peramivir was equivalent to a five-day course of Tamiflu in alleviating symptoms of the seasonal flu. Dr. Frederick G. Hayden, a virologist at the University of Virginia, said intravenous administration ''gives a high concentration in the plasma rapidly and makes a lot of sense.'' But he said peramivir did not appear to work that well against infections resistant to Tamiflu. BiomedReports is not paid or compensated to report news and developments about publicly traded companies. Full disclosure can be read in the About Us Section Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites |



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