AVI and Chiron form license agreement for hepatitis C virus

By Lisa Kerner

Erie, Pa., Jan. 27 - AVI BioPharma, Inc. said it has entered into an agreement with Chiron Corp. granting AVI a nonexclusive license to Chiron's patents and patent applications for the research, development and commercialization of antisense therapeutics against hepatitis C virus.

The license further strengthens AVI's patent position on its hepatitis C virus antisense product candidates, which are already covered by issued U.S. patent claims, according to a company news release.

As part of the agreement, AVI will issue Chiron shares of AVI common stock as an initial license fee payment.

Other financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"This agreement with Chiron positions AVI to move forward in our [hepatitis C virus] development program with confidence and clarity around intellectual property," said Denis R. Burger, Ph.D., chief executive officer of AVI, in a news release. "The addition of the [hepatitis C virus] patents licensed from Chiron to AVI's own patents provides a solid proprietary base in the [hepatitis C virus] for AVI and our eventual commercial partners."

AVI's lead Neugene antisense compound for hepatitis C virus, AVI-4065, is being evaluated in a multicenter exploratory safety and efficacy clinical trial.

The study is designed to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and viral response to daily subcutaneous administration of AVI-4065 among healthy volunteers and patients with chronic active hepatitis C virus.

AVI said it completed the first phase of this study with favorable safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic profiles. The company is now in the second efficacy phase of the program. Additional data from this trial are expected in the first quarter.

AVI BioPharma develops therapeutic products for the treatment of life-threatening diseases using third-generation Neugene antisense drugs. The company is based in Portland, Ore.

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