Open Orphan PLC (AIM:ORPH, OTC:OPORF) said its hVIVO subsidiary has landed a £7.3mln influenza challenge study.
Under the terms of the deal, the company researchers will carry out a double-blind, placebo-controlled assessment of the drug, which means one cohort will receive the active treatment, while the other half will be administered a substance with no medicinal value.
The scientists will evaluate the drug’s potential to ward off the flu virus (its prophylactic properties) and the post-inoculation activity of the drug in healthy volunteers.
"hVIVO has seen a steady increase in flu studies, a reflection of the shift in market sentiment following recent scrutiny of infectious disease data that has outlined the significant threat of flu and the potential of human challenge studies to the advancement of drug development candidates," said Open Orphan chief executive Mo Khan.
The end client was not named but simply described as a leading biotechnology company.