LA JOLLA, Calif., June 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Agouron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(Nasdaq: AGPH) today announced it will develop and commercialize S-1153, a
second generation non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) for
the treatment of HIV infection. Discovered by Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Osaka,
Japan, S-1153 is currently the subject of several clinical trials evaluating
its dose and its concomitant use with other antiretroviral treatments. S-1153
is of high clinical interest because it is more potent in vitro than other
NNRTIs such as nevirapine (Viramune(R)) and delavirdine (Rescriptor(R)) and
because S-1153 is fully active in vitro against HIV containing the most common
genetic mutation associated with resistance to other NNRTIs including
efavirenz (Sustiva(TM)).
Agouron will have exclusive rights to the development and
commercialization of S-1153 in North America, Europe and many other countries,
while Shionogi will maintain commercial rights in Japan, Korea and Taiwan.
Under the agreement with Agouron, Shionogi will receive license fees of up to
$40 million, including an initial $10 million license fee. In addition,
Agouron will pay Shionogi royalties based on sales of S-1153.
Results from a phase I dose escalation pharmacokinetic and safety study of
S-1153 will be presented at the 12th World AIDS Conference this week by Bruce
Dezube, M.D., principal investigator, of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical
Center in Boston.
Developing compounds that work against antiretroviral-resistant strains of
HIV is an important goal in the treatment of HIV infection. Agouron will move
swiftly to initiate additional clinical trials of S-1153 to further evaluate
its utility in patients with previous experience with antiretroviral drugs.
Agouron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is an integrated pharmaceutical company
committed to the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of
innovative therapeutic products engineered to inactivate proteins that play
key roles in cancer, AIDS, and other serious diseases.
Shionogi & Co., Ltd. is one of Japan's largest research based
pharmaceutical companies with principle businesses in pharmaceuticals,
diagnostics and clinical testing services, agrochemical and animal health
products and industrial chemicals.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements or predictions.
These statements represent our judgment as of this date and are subject to
risks and uncertainties (including those associated with regulatory approvals
and the impact of competitive products) that could cause the actual results to
differ materially. Important factors concerning these risks are discussed in
our Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1997 currently on file with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. Agouron undertakes no obligation to
publicly release the result of any revisions to such forward-looking
statements which may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date
hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
For more information on Agouron, you may visit the Agouron Web Site at
http://www.agouron.com.
SOURCE Agouron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
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CONTACT:
Investors: Donna Nichols, Vice President,
Head of Corporate Communications, 619-622-3009, or Media: Joy
Schmitt, Manager, Product Public Relations, 619-622-3220, both
are of Agouron Pharmaceuticals
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