Biota Pharmaceuticals Inc has commenced dosing of patients in its Phase 2b SPIRITUS trial of vapendavir. The goal of the study is to enroll approximately 150 laboratory-confirmed human rhinovirus (HRV) infected patients with moderate-to-severe asthma from the United States and multiple European countries over the next 12 months and to report top-line data in mid-2016.

“There are no antivirals currently approved for the treatment of HRV infection, which is a major cause of disease exacerbation among patients with asthma and COPD. Therefore, the initiation of this important trial of vapendavir in moderate-to-severe asthmatics is truly exciting, and based on the positive outcome from the Phase 2 study in mild asthmatics, I am looking forward to the data from this trial next year,” stated Dr Jonathan Matz, allergist-immunologist and Principal Investigator of the SPIRITUS trial.