Cathal Friel of Open Orphan talks about their $13.4m Influenza human challenge study contract win

Cathal Friel, Executive Chairman of Open Orphan #ORPH talks about their $13.4m contract with a US-based biotechnology company to test its novel antiviral candidate using the hVIVO Influenza Human Challenge Study Model.

The study is expected to commence in H2 2022 and will be conducted at hVIVO's state-of-the-art quarantine facilities in London. The Company expect the majority of revenues to be recognised in 2022.

The Company expects to sign an increasing number of contracts in this area as the global pandemic has highlighted the increased investment needed from governments and Big Pharma to develop effective, novel treatments for a range of infectious diseases that have potential to cause the next pandemic. Influenza is one such disease, with emergences of flu pandemics impossible to predict. Symptoms of influenza may be mild or cause severe disease, or in certain cases, death. Influenza is a serious global health threat with an estimated 1 billion cases per year, 3-5 million severe cases and 290,000 - 650,000 deaths per year.

hVIVO has two decades of experience and expertise in safely conducting challenge studies across a range of respiratory viruses, including various strains of influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human rhinovirus (HRV - common cold virus), malaria, and asthma. In October 2020, this expanded to include the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

About Open Orphan

Open Orphan plc (London and Euronext: ORPH) is a rapidly growing contract research company that is a world leader in testing vaccines and antivirals using human challenge clinical trials. The Company provides services to Big Pharma, biotech and government/public health organisations.

Open Orphan runs challenge studies in London from both its 19-bedroom Whitechapel quarantine clinic and its state-of-the-art 24-bedroom QMB clinic with its highly specialised on-site virology and immunology laboratory. The Company has a leading portfolio of human challenge study models for infectious and respiratory diseases and is developing a number of new models. There has been an explosion in the growth of the infectious disease market, which is estimated to grow to in excess of $250bn by 2025. The Group is focused on refreshing its existing challenge models and develop new models, such as Malaria, to address the dramatic growth potential of the global infectious disease market.

Building upon its many years of challenge studies and virology research, the Company is developing an in-depth database of infectious disease progression data. Based on the Company's Disease in Motion® platform, this unique dataset includes clinical, immunological, virological and digital (wearable) biomarkers. The Disease in Motion platform has many potential applications across a wide variety of end users including big technology, wearables, pharma and biotech companies.

Open Orphan's Paris office has been providing biometry, data management and statistics to its many European pharmaceutical clients for over 20 years. For over 15 years, the Company's Netherlands office has been providing drug development consultancy and services, including CMC (chemistry, manufacturing and controls), PK and medical writing, to a broad range of European clients. Both offices are now also fully integrated with the London office and working on challenge study contracts as well as supporting third party trial contracts.