Dive Brief:
- Johnson & Johnson/Janssen paid $30 million to Vertex for global rights to VX-787, an experimental influenza drug. Payments include an upfront fee and milestone payments.
- VX-787 directly inhibits replication of influenza A,including the H1 and H5 strains.
- Phase IIa data shows statistically significant improvements in viral and clinical measurements.
Dive Insight:
Direct inhibition of viral replication is a new approach to influenza vaccination with the standard of care being neuraminidase inhibitors. According to CDC, each year up to 20% of the US population gets the flu, resulting in 200,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths. Results of phase II trials show that VX-787 significantly reduces the duration and severity of influenza symptoms.