Open Orphan subsidiary wins €7.5m contract to run study

Dublin-listed pharmaceutical services company Open Orphan's subsidiary Hvivo has won a contract worth €7.5 million to run a human viral challenge study.

Open Orphan, a European-focused, rare and orphan drug consulting services platform, is the result of executive chairman Cathal Friel reversing his pharma services business of the same name into Dublin-listed drug clinical trials manager Venn Life Sciences.

The contract, which is with a US biotechnology company, concerns a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) prophylactic and treatment.

The US biotechnology company is developing a product for the prevention and treatment of acute and chronic respiratory syncytial virus infections.

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RSV is a contagious virus that affects the respiratory tract of children and at-risk older adults. In severe cases, it can cause pneumonia and other life-threatening breathing difficulties.

RSV is a significant public health threat and is one of the leading causes of hospitalisation of young children across the world.

Lower immunity

It also poses a significant threat to at-risk older adults. In the current climate, RSV may also lower immunity and increase the risk of developing Covid-19, and where these infections occur together, it can worsen the severity of illness.

There is currently no prophylactic or specific treatment on the market for RSV.

The study is due to commence in the final quarter of this year, with the majority of revenues being recognised in 2021.

Hvivo will conduct the study to demonstrate the efficacy of its lead candidate against RSV infection.

Open Orphan said the product is expected to have substantial advantages with respect to potency, safety, tolerability and convenience while fully maintaining efficacy when compared to other similar products.

“This is another substantial and significant contract win for Hvivo and Open Orphan,” said Mr Friel.

“In the past, human challenge studies suffered from the perception that it was difficult to find a provider and that it may take a long period of time to complete. However, Open Orphan is transforming this view.

“We are delighted to see human challenge clinical trials now becoming an increasingly important part of pharmaceutical product testing and commercialisation.”