Today before the opening bell, Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced positive results from the first cohort of an ongoing Phase Ib clinical trial of ANA598, the Company’s investigational non-nucleoside polymerase inhibitor. ANA598 demonstrated potent antiviral activity in patients infected with chronic Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and was very well-tolerated. The company anticipates reporting detailed data from multiple cohorts of the study at an upcoming medical conference.

James Freddo, M.D., Anadys’ Senior Vice President, Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer, stated, “We are very pleased with the antiviral activity and safety of ANA598 at this first dose tested in the Phase Ib study. We believe this early data continues to position ANA598 as a leading non-nucleoside polymerase inhibitor in development for the treatment of HCV and we look forward to investigating ANA598 in longer-term studies in combination with current standard of care.”

“The clinical and preclinical profile of ANA598 observed to date is very impressive,” added Steve Worland, Ph.D., President and CEO of Anadys. “The magnitude of viral load drop reported today for ANA598 is greater than has been reported for any other non-nucleoside HCV inhibitor in a monotherapy study. Furthermore, the rate of initial viral load decline, believed to be associated with direct inhibition of viral replication, is greater than has been reported previously for all classes of HCV polymerase inhibitors, including nucleosides. This demonstrated antiviral potency holds significant promise for the future use of ANA598 in combination with other anti-HCV agents.”

Let us hear your thoughts below: