Enanta's Respiratory Virus Drug Aces Midstage Study

The thinly traded, small-cap biotech Enanta Pharmaceuticals Inc ENTA announced results Friday from a midstage study.

What Happened

Enanta released top-line results from a Phase 2a study that evaluated EDP-938; it showed a highly statistically significant reduction in viral load and in resolution of clinical symptoms versus a placebo in healthy adults infected with respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.

The Phase 2a study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human challenge study in healthy adults inoculated with RSV, with the study participants administered either a once-daily 600 mg dose; a single 500 mg loading dose followed by a 300 mg twice-daily dose; or placebo for five days.

EDP-938 also demonstrated good pharmacokinetics and was generally safe and well-tolerated, according to Enanta.  

RSV has no approved treatment options.

What's Next

Buoyed by the positive results, Enanta said it plans to initiate its first Phase 2b study by the end of calendar 2019 in adult outpatients with confirmed RSV infections.

In pre-market trading, Enanta shares were advancing, but the price dipped over the day. The stock was down 9.38% at $88.22 at the time of publication Friday. 

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