Biotech Values

[mcbio]

Re: AZN NS5A HCV Inhibitor

The drug in question, AZD7295 (f/k/a A-831) was listed as being in phase-2 in the pipeline chart* AZN posted on its website in January 2010; however, in March 2010, AZN announced that it was discontinuing drug discovery in HCV (#msg-47300638), which calls into question the status of the AZD7295 program.

Recently, the plot thickened with the listing on clinicaltrials.gov of a new 12-patient phase-1 study (clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01097408 ), which is the only listed study for this drug! I infer that, even if this program is nominally alive, AZN is not taking it seriously.

That seems strange that they would announce in March that they're discontinuing drug discovery in HCV but then start this Phase 1 at the end of March. But, perhaps AZN means they are discontinuing further research outside of the NS5A program, but since AZD7295 is already past the research stage and at the clinical stage, they will go forward with this HCV compound. Also, I imagine the BMY news in mid-March spurred AZN to go forward with a Phase 1 of AZD7295 at the end of the month. But, it seems strange that they are going backwards from a Phase 2 to a Phase 1 with the compound and that alone may be reason enough to be bearish about the compound.