ContraVir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: CTRV) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of targeted antiviral therapies. The company’s leading product candidate, FV-100, is currently in phase III clinical development for the treatment of shingles, as well as for the prevention of debilitating shingles-associated pain known as post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). Additionally, ContraVir’s product pipeline includes CMX157, which is scheduled to be evaluated in a phase II clinical study for the treatment of hepatitis B virus in the coming months.
While there are already antivirals approved to treat the viral infection underlying shingles, there are currently no approved antiviral therapies for the prevention of PGN. According to a report by the National Institute of Health, an estimated one million Americans suffer from shingles each year, and more than 65 percent of those individuals suffer from PHN for 30 days or more. In some cases, PHN symptoms can persist for well over two years if left untreated. Through the eventual commercialization of FV-100, ContraVir will gain access to this critically underserved market segment within the biopharmaceutical industry. In clinical trials, FV-100 demonstrated a clinically meaningful 37 percent reduction in the incidence of PHN versus the current standard of care.
In addition to FV-100, the company continues to make clinical progress with CMX157. In June, ContraVir took a major step in the development of CMX157 by partnering with the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, the non-profit research sister organization of the Hepatitis B Foundation, to conduct a series of experiments with the company’s drug candidate. Specifically, these tests will focus on comparing the relative anti-hepatitis B activities of CMX157 with those of tenofovir, the current standard of care, in order to determine if the candidate has unique attributes not previously appreciated of other antiviral agents.
“The Blumberg Institute’s commitment to advancing new therapies for hepatitis B make them an ideal research and development vehicle for ContraVir,” James Sapirstein, chief executive officer of ContraVir, stated in a news release. “This association will help advance our CMX157 candidate and may further de-risk the development process going forward, as we prepare to enter phase II clinical studies.”
For prospective shareholders, ContraVir’s considerable developmental progress could foreshadow an opportunity to realize sustainable returns moving forward. Following its uplisting to the NASDAQ Capital Market earlier this year, the company is in a strong strategic position to capitalize on improved visibility in the coming months. Look for ContraVir to leverage the opportunities presented by this visibility in order to optimize market growth as it continues toward the commercialization of its advanced product pipeline.
For more information, visit www.contravir.com
