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Bristol-Myers Squibb and Arris Pharmaceutical to Develop Hepatitis C Inhibitors
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PRINCETON, N.J., and SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) and Arris Pharmaceutical Corporation (Nasdaq: ARRS) today announced they have entered into an agreement to develop protease inhibitors to prevent the growth and spread of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, a leading cause of chronic liver disease. Bristol-Myers Squibb
will receive exclusive development and marketing rights to any HCV protease inhibitors produced in the collaboration. In return, Bristol-Myers Squibb will provide research funding as well as up-front, milestone, and royalty
payments to Arris. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
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According to the terms of the agreement, Arris will apply its proprietary
Delta Technology to design potent and selective inhibitors of the protease
enzyme of HCV. The hepatitis C protease, much like the HIV protease in the
virus that causes AIDS, is an enzyme that the virus needs to reproduce.
_"We are pleased to begin this collaboration with Arris," said Peter S.
Ringrose, Ph.D., president, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research
Institute. "The opportunity for scientists from Bristol-Myers Squibb and
Arris to work together using Arris' Delta Technology to design potent
inhibitors of this crucial target enzyme is particularly exciting. We're
hopeful that through our partnership with Arris, we will develop effective
treatments to address the growing medical concerns posed by the hepatitis C
virus."
_John Walker, president and chief executive officer of Arris, said, "The
hepatitis C virus is certainly one of the most important targets facing the
pharmaceutical industry today. The fact that Bristol-Myers Squibb has
selected Arris as its collaborative partner clearly reflects their confidence
in our proprietary chemistry capabilities, in particular, the Delta
Technology. This partnership builds upon our earlier discovery program in
viral protease inhibitors, significantly broadening the effort beyond herpes
viruses to other attractive infectious disease targets. In addition, the
collaboration demonstrates Arris' ability to continue to build a discovery
pipeline supported by world-class pharmaceutical partners, providing a broad
disease focus and multiple market opportunities."
_As many as four million Americans and 60 million people worldwide are
infected with hepatitis C virus. HCV infection is more serious than hepatitis
A or B, and is more likely to result in chronic liver disease. Liver damage
due to HCV is the leading reason for liver transplants in the U.S. The virus
may be sexually transmitted or acquired through I.V. drug use or by blood
transfusions prior to 1990.
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Arris Pharmaceutical uses an integrated drug discovery approach combining
structure based drug design, combinatorial chemistry and its proprietary Delta
technology to discover and develop small molecule therapeutics for existing
markets where available therapies have significant limitations. Arris'
research focus is protease-based discovery programs targeting the inhibition
of enzymes implicated in inflammatory and certain other diseases such as
asthma, blood clotting disorders, arthritis, osteoporosis, cancer and various
infectious diseases.
_Bristol-Myers Squibb is a diversified worldwide health and personal care
company whose principal businesses are pharmaceuticals, consumer products,
nutritionals and medical devices. It is a leading maker of innovative
therapies for cardiovascular, metabolic and infectious diseases, central
nervous system and dermatological disorders, and cancer.
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The Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute employs 4,000
scientific and administrative personnel around the world engaged in the
discovery and development of innovative, cost-effective pharmaceutical
therapies. The company expects to invest about $1.3 billion in pharmaceutical
research and development in 1997.
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