Chimerix in licensing deal with Gilead Sciences

US biotechnology company Chimerix, which is developing orally available, targeted medicines from bioactive molecules, has licensed rights from Gilead Sciences to develop oral derivatives of Gilead's proprietary antiviral compound cidofovir, intended for the prevention or treatment of smallpox infections.

Chimerix's initial focus will be to continue development of its oral smallpox drug, CMX-001, which is a chemically modified derivative of cidofovir, incorporating Chimerix proprietary chemistry to enhance intracellular uptake and oral delivery.

The license permits Chimerix to sell CMX-001 to governments anywhere in the world and includes the rights to develop and sell oral derivatives of cidofovir for treatment of infections caused by related viruses. Chimerix will pay Gilead royalties based on a percentage of net sales to governments.

Cidofovir is an antiviral medication currently approved for the treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in AIDS patients. Marketed under the brand name Vistide, Gilead's drug was cleared for marketing by the US FDA in 1996 and by European regulators in 1997. Cidofovir is administered by intravenous infusion. Using proprietary technology, Chimerix is able to modify the parent compound to yield a potent, orally available drug that has the potential to treat smallpox infections, or complications of smallpox vaccination. Chimerix was recently awarded a US$36.1m grant from US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), under the Bioterrorism Act of 2002, to support development of CMX-001, as a treatment for smallpox.