Cocrystal Announces Positive Interim Data from an Ongoing Phase 1 Study with CC-31244 for the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C Infection
ATLANTA, GA and BOTHELL, WA -- (Marketwired) -- 11/07/16 -- Cocrystal Pharma, Inc. (OTCQB: COCP), announced positive data from a randomized, double-blind Phase Ia/Ib study of CC-31244, a pan-genotypic, potent NS5B non-nucleoside inhibitor (NNI), for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.
The study is designed to evaluate CC-31244's safety/tolerability and pharmacokinetics, including food effect and antiviral activity. The study includes two groups: Group A (single ascending doses, and multiple doses in healthy volunteers), and Group B (multiple doses in HCV infected individuals).
The study has dosed a total of 42 healthy volunteers with single (20, 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg) and multiple doses of CC-31244 at 200 and 400 mg for 7 days. Five HCV GT1 infected patients were dosed, four with 400 mg of CC-31244 once daily for 7 days and one with placebo.
Data from the once daily 400 mg dosing arm demonstrate that CC-31244 had a substantial and durable antiviral effect with an average HCV RNA viral load decline from baseline of 3 log orders by 48 hours after dosing. The average viral load at 6 days post last dose remained on average 1.9 log orders below baseline. In addition, no viral breakthrough was observed during the treatment period. No serious adverse event was reported.
"To date, CC-31244 appears to be safe and well tolerated in both healthy and HCV-infected subjects. This study is ongoing with additional cohorts and Cocrystal anticipates reporting the complete dataset by the first quarter of 2017," said Gary L. Wilcox, Ph.D., Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Company. "The human pharmacokinetic and safety data were consistent with the drug's preclinical profile."
"Our initial clinical data are particularly encouraging. Our preclinical data indicate that the drug accumulates significantly in the liver. These data support the notion that CC-31244 is a potential best-in-class NNI which could be used as an important component in an all oral, ultra-short HCV combination therapy," added Sam Lee, Ph.D., President and co-inventor of this drug.
About CC-31244
CC-31244 is an investigational, oral, potent, pan-genotypic NNI with high barrier to drug resistance designed and developed using the Company's proprietary structure-based drug discovery technology. The molecule interacts with the NS5B RNA polymerase of all major HCV genotypes
About Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is a viral infection of the liver that according to The World Health Organization in 2013 affects over 150 million people worldwide of whom only about 1% have been cured to date. The annual number of deaths due to Hepatitis C is estimated at 350,000 globally or nearly 1,000 per day. Most patients develop chronic infections, which can lead to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer. The worldwide market for hepatitis C antiviral drugs was $12 billion in 2015.
About Cocrystal Pharma
Cocrystal is a pharmaceutical company seeking to discover and develop novel antiviral therapeutics as treatments for serious and/or chronic viral diseases. Cocrystal employs unique structure based technologies and Nobel Prize winning expertise to create first- and best-in-class antiviral drugs. These technologies, including our nucleoside chemistry expertise, are designed to efficiently deliver small molecule therapeutics that are safe, effective and convenient to administer. The company has identified promising, preclinical stage antiviral compounds for unmet medical needs including hepatitis, influenza and norovirus infections. Cocrystal has previously received strategic investments from Teva Pharmaceuticals, OPKO Health, Brace Pharmaceutical, LLC, and The Frost Group. For further information about Cocrystal, please refer to www.cocrystalpharma.com.
Forward Looking Statements
To the extent that statements contained in this press release are not descriptions of historical facts regarding Cocrystal, they are forward-looking statements reflecting the current beliefs and expectations of management including statements regarding development plans for treatments related to Hepatitis C. Forward-looking statements in this release include any implication that our future clinical results will be comparable to our initial data, and involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause our clinical development programs, performance or future results to differ significantly from what is expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of the Company in general, see filings Cocrystal has made with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Source: Cocrystal Pharma, Inc.
Released November 7, 2016