ContraVir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: CTRV), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of targeted antiviral therapies, announced today that it has engaged the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, the non-profit research sister organization of the Hepatitis B Foundation, to conduct a series of experiments using ContraVir's hepatitis B program, CMX157. The Blumberg Institute, located in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, is equipped with the largest concentration of nonprofit scientists focusing solely on hepatitis B and liver cancer in the United States and will profile CMX157.
As part of the agreement, ContraVir will contract with the Blumberg Institute to work on certain projects related to CMX157. The research will focus specifically on further comparing the relative anti-hepatitis B activities of CMX157 and tenofovir in order to determine if CMX157 has unique anti-hepatitis B attributes not previously appreciated of tenofovir or other antiviral agents.
Lou Kassa, COO of The Blumberg Institute, stated, "We are delighted that the Blumberg Institute can be helpful to ContraVir in its pursuit of new HBV therapeutics. We are hopeful that the experiments we will perform pursuant to this engagement may ultimately lead to improved quality of life for those affected by chronic hepatitis B worldwide by helping to guide the development of this exciting therapeutic candidate."
James Sapirstein, CEO of ContraVir, announced, "The Blumberg Institute's commitment to advancing new therapies for hepatitis B make them an ideal research and development vehicle for ContraVir. Not only do they have the expertise and state-of-the-art facilities to carry out our specific experiments, but they nurture an ecosystem of innovative biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to which ContraVir is proud to contribute. This association will help advance our CMX157 candidate and may further de-risk the development process going forward, as we prepare to enter Phase 2 clinical studies."
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