HUDDINGE, Sweden, Nov. 19, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Medivir (Huddinge, Sweden) and Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine Company (Shanghai, Peoples Republic of China) have entered a discovery collaboration to jointly develop protease inhibitor drugs for COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). The collaboration, which extends over several years, will combine Medivir's protease inhibitor program in COPD, screening systems and discovery technologies with Hengrui's acknowledged expertise in medicinal chemistry. Drug products resulting from the partnership will be commercialized by Hengrui in China and by Medivir in the rest of the world.
COPD, is a group of diseases characterized by airway constriction, mucus production and inflammation with resultant breathing-related problems, and is found predominately in people who smoke. COPD includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis and, in some cases, asthma. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that COPD is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide with about 600 million people afflicted. The WHO estimates that within 20 years COPD will be the third major cause of mortality world wide. Presently it is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. In China respiratory diseases are the fourth leading cause of death in large urban areas and the leading cause of death in rural areas. There is today no adequate therapy for COPD.
About Medivir AB
Medivir is an innovative, specialist research company that develops pharmaceuticals. The company is located in Huddinge, Sweden and Cambridge, UK. Medivir's research is focused on developing new drug compounds based on proteases and polymerases as target enzymes. Medivir was floated on the Stockholm Exchange in 1996, and has been quoted on the Attract 40 list since 1 July 2003.
Medivir's research portfolio includes projects against HIV, jaundice, shingles, cold sores, osteoporosis, RA (rheumatoid arthritis), asthma and MS (multiple sclerosis). Medivir has five projects in clinical development phases, two of which are about to enter phase III after completing phase II. Two projects are in phase I and one is in phase II. One project-MV026048-is in preclinical development, the stage closest to clinical development. The optimization stage has three projects, the lead identification stage encompasses two projects. Medivir has some ten activities in the first preclinical-explorative- stage. For information, access our website at www.Medivir.se.
About Hengrui
Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine Co., Ltd. (Hengrui) is one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in China. The company has been listed on Shanghai Stock Exchange since October, 2000.
Hengrui has headquarters at Lianyuangang, research and manufacturing facilities in Lianyungang, Shanghai and Chengdu, and marketing offices in over 20 provinces in China. Today Hengrui has more than 1700 employees, among them about 26% are senior technical staff. Hengrui is active in pursuing the discovery of novel pharmaceuticals, especially in the oncology, cardiovascular and metabolic disease areas. Drug discovery efforts will be accelerated further by the establishment of the new research centre in Shangahi. For more information, access our website at www.hrs.com.cn.
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