hVIVO Regulatory News (HVO)

RNS REACH

hVIVO plc

("hVIVO" or the "Company")

hVIVO successfully completes RSV challenge study in Older Adults

- Represents a new model available to customers as part of hVIVO's clinical trial services offering -

- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) human challenge study conducted by hVIVO in adults aged 60-75 delivers positive results

- Study demonstrated that an RSV challenge study can be performed safely in this age group

- Broadens hVIVO's commercial offering in RSV beyond its already established RSV model in the younger population

- Utilisation of the Older Adult model targets population associated with significant unmet need in RSV

London, UK - 6 August 2019: hVIVO plc (AIM: HVO), an industry leading clinical development services business pioneering human disease models based upon viral challenge, announces the successful completion of an RSV human challenge study conducted in older adults, aged 60-75 years. The study was conducted at hVIVO's specialist clinical facility in London.

The study demonstrated that an RSV challenge model can be conducted safely in a population of 60-75 years of age.

The study, which extends hVIVO's commercial provision beyond the established RSV human challenge model in 18-60 year olds, comprised volunteers who were residential in hVIVO's state of the art human challenge clinical unit for a period of approximately 2 weeks after being inoculated with hVIVO's GMP-manufactured RSV Memphis 37 Challenge virus strain. Each volunteer was closely monitored 24 hours a day with data concerning safety, infection rates, virology and symptoms collected before being safely discharged and followed up for 28 days post discharge.

The hVIVO RSV Older Adult challenge model in 60-75 year olds, was specifically designed to provide the pharmaceutical industry with an early clinical development proof of concept platform to safely evaluate novel treatments/vaccines in one of the populations with the greatest unmet medical need.  

Dr Trevor Phillips, Executive Chairman, commented:

"We are pleased to announce results from this study in an older adult population and broadening hVIVO's commercial offering in RSV beyond its already established model in the younger population that is currently the only such RSV model commercially available. These positive results mean we are now able to offer existing and new customers a model that targets a population that is particularly vulnerable to RSV and for use in vaccine or antiviral product development. 

The Company's contract pipeline is experiencing a strong demand for RSV challenge study services and we anticipate this demand will continue reflective of the unmet medical need that companies are addressing."

For further information please contact:

Notes to Editors:

hVIVO is pioneering a human-based clinical trial platform to accelerate drug and vaccine development in respiratory and infectious diseases. Leveraging human disease models in HRV, RSV, Flu Asthma and COPD, the hVIVO platform captures disease in motion, illuminating the entire disease life cycle from healthy to sick and back to health. Based in the UK, market leader hVIVO has conducted more than 50 clinical studies and inoculated over 2500 volunteers.

Forward-looking statements

This announcement includes statements that are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms anticipates, believes, estimates, expects, intends, may, plans, projects, should or will, or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans, objectives, goals, future events or intentions. These forward-looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts. Any forward-looking statements in this announcement reflect the Group's (or, as the case may be, the hVIVO directors') current view with respect to future events and are subject to risks relating to future events and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to the Group's operations, results of operations and growth strategy. Investors should specifically consider the factors identified in this announcement which could cause actual results to differ before making an investment decision.