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Enanta Pharmaceuticals Announces Efforts to Discover a Treatment for the Novel Coronavirus Disease COVID-19
Company Leverages Proven Antiviral and Respiratory Expertise to Evaluate Existing Compounds and New Approaches for Treating the Novel Coronavirus Disease
About this update from Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"\nCompany Leverages Proven Antiviral and Respiratory Expertise to Evaluate Existing Compounds and New Approaches for Treating the Novel Coronavirus Disease COVID-19\n\n WATERTOWN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nEnanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENTA), a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to creating small molecule drugs for viral infections and liver diseases, today announced that it has initiated a program to discover direct-acting antiviral drug candidates for the treatment of patients infected with the novel coronavirus COVID-19, also known as SARS-CoV-2.\n\n\nThe company is leveraging its years of expertise in virology, including its discovery work on two approved protease inhibitors – paritaprevir and glecaprevir – for use against hepatitis C virus (HCV), its development of a candidate for hepatitis B virus (HBV), and most importantly, its development of candidates for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (hMPV), to explore approaches against this pandemic health threat.\n\n\nEnanta is taking a two-pronged approach to its COVID-19 discovery efforts. It is testing compounds from its antiviral compound library for potential activity against COVID-19. It is also initiating a drug discovery program using its expertise in direct-acting antiviral mechanisms to discover new candidates to treat COVID-19.\n\n\n“Based on our proven track record in virology and our capabilities in respiratory diseases, we believe our core competencies position us well to discover a potential treatment for COVID-19,” said Jay Luly, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Enanta. “Our decision to initiate a program for COVID-19 is a natural evolution of our work and mission. Not only has Enanta already worked on the discovery of two direct-acting antivirals for HCV, we have an HBV treatment in clinical development, as well as expertise in RSV, a common illness in children that is also responsible for an estimated 177,000 older adult hospitalizations and 14,000 deaths annually in the U.S. More recently, we also started a program for hMPV, which like RSV, can cause severe respiratory tract infections in children, elderly and immunocompromised individuals.\"\n\n\nEnanta’s decision to initiate a program for COVID-19 comes only a few months after the company initiated “RSVP,” a Phase 2b study in adult outpatients with...