BioCryst Pharmaceuticals

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Company type	Public
Traded as	Template:NASDAQ Russell 2000 Component
Industry	Healthcare
Founded	1986 (1986)
Headquarters	Durham, North Carolina, US
Key people	Jon P. Stonehouse (president and CEO)
Products	RABIVAP
Revenue	$49 million (2019)
Number of employees	110
Website	www.biocryst.com

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a pharmaceutical firm headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, United States. As a late-stage biotechnology company, it focuses on developing oral therapies for rare and critical illnesses. The antiviral agent peramivir (marketed as Rapivab) by BioCryst obtained FDA approval in December 2014 and has also been authorized for use in Japan, Korea, and China.

History

Established in 1986 by Charles E. Bugg and John A. Montgomery, BioCryst became publicly traded in March 1994 on the NASDAQ exchange. In 2008, the company earned recognition from Deloitte & Touche as one of the fastest expanding firms in their Technology Fast 500 ranking.

In October 2010, BioCryst moved its main office to Durham, North Carolina, a city where it had maintained operations since 2006. A proposed merger with Idera Pharmaceuticals was announced in January 2018, aiming to rebrand and relocate the business to Pennsylvania; however, this merger was declined by shareholders in July of the same year.

Pipeline

Key programs under development at BioCryst include:

• Berotralstat (BCX7353), an oral plasma kallikrein inhibitor designed for both prevention and treatment of hereditary angioedema (HAE).
  • The FDA authorized an Expanded Access Program for qualified patients within the U.S.
  • On December 3, 2020, it received FDA approval as the first oral prophylactic treatment for HAE.
• BCX9930, an oral inhibitor of Factor D aimed at diseases driven by complement system dysregulation.
  • This candidate has been granted Fast Track status by the FDA for treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH).
• BCX9250, an oral ALK-2 inhibitor targeting the rare condition fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP).
• Galidesivir (BCX4430), a broad-spectrum antiviral agent progressing through advanced development stages against viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, Ebola, Marburg, Yellow fever, and Zika.
  • Phase 1 clinical trials demonstrated its safety and tolerability when administered intravenously and intramuscularly.
  • Preclinical animal studies indicated survival advantages against several severe viral infections.
  • Developed in partnership with U.S. government organizations.
  • In 2013, NIAID contracted BioCryst to further develop galidesivir targeting Marburg and other filoviruses.
  • BARDA awarded a contract in 2015 to support galidesivir’s advancement as a treatment for RNA virus-related illnesses.
  • A randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial for COVID-19 was initiated in April 2020 with funding from NIAID; however, subsequent trials were discontinued by the company.

External links

1. BioCryst