ViroPharma

{{Short description|American pharmaceutical company}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}} {{Infobox company | name = ViroPharma Incorporated | logo = 150px|ViroPharma Incorporated | type = Public [http://dynamic.nasdaq.com/dynamic/nasdaqbiotech_activity.stm NASDAQ Biotechnology Index] | traded_as = {{NASDAQ|VPHM}} | foundation = Exton, Pennsylvania, U.S. (1994) | founder = Claude H. Nash Mark A. McKinlay Marc S. Collett Johanna A. Griffin Guy D. Diana | defunct = 2014 | location = Exton, Pennsylvania, U.S. | key_people = Vincent Milano {{small|(Chairman and CEO)}} | industry = Healthcare, Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical company | products = Vancocin | revenue = 132,417,000 USD (2005) | operating_income = 88,145,000 USD (2005) | net_income = 113,705,000 USD (2005) | num_employees = 232<ref>{{cite web|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/lookup/|title=Symbol Lookup from Yahoo Finance|website=finance.yahoo.com}}</ref> | homepage = [http://www.viropharma.com/ www.viropharma.com] }}

'''ViroPharma Incorporated''' was a pharmaceutical company that developed and sold drugs that addressed serious diseases treated by physician specialists and in hospital settings. The company focused on product development activities on viruses and human disease, including those caused by cytomegalovirus (CMV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. It was purchased by Shire in 2013, with Shire paying around $4.2 billion for the company in a deal that was finalized in January 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.financierworldwide.com/shire-acquires-viropharma-for-42bn|title=Shire acquires ViroPharma for $4.2bn|website=Financier Worldwide|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-23}}</ref> ViroPharma was a member of the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index and the S&P 600.

The company had strategic relationships with GlaxoSmithKline, Schering-Plough, and Sanofi-Aventis. ViroPharma acquired Lev Pharmaceuticals in a merger in 2008.<ref name=Staff_GEN2008>{{Cite news | last =Staff | date =2008-07-15 | title =ViroPharma to Purchase Lev for $442.9M | periodical =Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News | series =GEN News Highlights | issn =1937-8661 | access-date =2008-09-26 | publisher =Mary Ann Liebert | url =http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=38782611 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.levpharma.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=130944&p=irol-home|title=Lev Pharmaceuticals Investor Relations|publisher=Lev Pharmaceuticals|access-date=2009-04-08}}</ref>

==History== ViroPharma Incorporated was founded in 1994 by Claude H. Nash (Chief Executive Officer), Mark A. McKinlay (Vice President, Research & Development), Marc S. Collett (Vice President, Discovery Research), Johanna A. Griffin (Vice President, Business Development), and Guy D. Diana (Vice President, Chemistry Research.) None of the founders are still with the company.

In November 2014, Shire plc acquired ViroPharma for $4.2 billion.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-11/shire-agrees-to-buy-viropharma-for-about-4-2-billion-1-.html | work=Bloomberg | first=Makiko | last=Kitamura | title=Shire Buys ViroPharma for $4.2 Billion to Add Orphan Drug | date=11 November 2013}}</ref>

==Products==

=== Marketed products=== Vancocin Pulvules HCl: licensed from Eli Lilly in 2004.<ref>{{cite news | last = Pollack | first = Andrew | title = Crucial Antibiotic Rescues Biotech Maker's Finances | work = The New York Times | date = 2005-11-09 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/09/business/09viro.html | access-date = 2007-09-20 }}</ref> Oral Vancocin is an antibiotic for treatment of staphylococcal enterocolitis and antibiotic associated pseudomembranous colitis caused by Clostridioides difficile.

===Pipeline=== Maribavir is an oral antiviral drug candidate licensed from GlaxoSmithKline in 2003 for the prevention and treatment of human cytomegalovirus disease in hematopoietic stem cell/bone marrow transplant patients. In February 2006, ViroPharma announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had granted the company fast track status for maribavir.<ref>{{Cite web|title=FDA GRANTS FAST-TRACK STATUS FOR VIROPHARMA'S MARIBAVIR|url=https://www.fdanews.com/articles/84370-fda-grants-fast-track-status-for-viropharma-s-maribavir|access-date=2020-08-19|website=www.fdanews.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=FDA grants fast track status for ViroPharma's Maribavir {{!}} health.am|url=http://www.health.am/ab/more/fda_grants_fast_track_status_for_viropharmas_maribavir/|access-date=2020-08-19|language=en-us}}</ref>

In March 2006, the company announced that a Phase II study with maribavir demonstrated that prophylaxis with maribavir displays strong antiviral activity, as measured by statistically significant reduction in the rate of reactivation of CMV in recipients of hematopoietic stem cell/bone marrow transplants. In an intent-to-treat analysis of the first 100 days after the transplant, the number of subjects who required pre-emptive anti-CMV therapy was statistically significantly reduced (p-value = 0.051 to 0.001) in each of the maribavir groups compared to the placebo group (57% for placebo vs. 15%, 30%, and 15% for maribavir 100 mg twice daily, 400 mg daily, and 400 mg twice daily, respectively).

ViroPharma conducted a Phase III clinical study to evaluate the prophylactic use for the prevention of cytomegalovirus disease in recipients of allogeneic stem cell transplant patients. In February 2009, ViroPharma announced that the Phase III study failed to achieve its goal, showing no significant difference between maribavir and a placebo in reducing the rate of CMV disease.<ref>[https://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200902091012DOWJONESDJONLINE000320_FORTUNE5.htm ViroPharma:Maribavir Phase III Study Missed Goal;Shares Plunge] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212134018/http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200902091012DOWJONESDJONLINE000320_FORTUNE5.htm |date=12 February 2009 }}, CNN Money, 9 February 2009</ref>

===Failed products=== {{Main|Pleconaril}} Oral pleconaril was ViroPharma's first compound, licensed from Sanofi in 1995. Pleconaril is active against viruses in the picornavirus family. ViroPharma's first indication was for enteroviral meningitis, but that indication was abandoned when the clinical trials did not demonstrate efficacy.

In 2001, ViroPharma submitted a New Drug Application of pleconaril to the FDA for the common cold.<ref>{{cite news | last = Freundlich | first = Naomi | title = On the Trail of a Cure For the Common Cold | work = The New York Times | date = 2002-02-03 | url = https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE2DD143DF930A35751C0A9649C8B63 | access-date = 2007-09-20 }}</ref> On 2002-03-19, the FDA Antiviral Advisory Committee recommended that the company had failed to show adequate safety, and the FDA subsequently issued a not-approvable letter.<ref>{{cite news | last = Pollack | first = Andrew | title = F.D.A. Panel Opposes Drug Meant to Treat Cause of Colds | work = The New York Times | date = 2002-03-20 | url = https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9502E1D71238F933A15750C0A9649C8B63 | access-date = 2007-09-20 }}</ref>

In November 2004, ViroPharma licensed pleconaril to Schering-Plough,<ref>{{cite web| url=http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/irol/92/92320/2008AR/PDF/ViroPharma-AR2008_0025.pdf | access-date=2023-12-23 | title=Picornaviruses and Schering-Plough}}</ref> who are developing an intranasal formulation for the common cold and asthma exacerbations. ([http://www.schering-plough.com/schering_plough/research/spri/product_pipeline.jsp Schering-Plough Development Pipeline]). In August 2006, Schering-Plough started a Phase II clinical trial.

==References== {{Reflist}}

===Further references=== * ''The Long Road Ahead for ViroPharma'' [http://www.fool.com/investing/high-growth/2006/09/29/the-long-road-ahead-for-viropharma.aspx Motley Fool 29 September 2006]

==External links== * [http://www.viropharma.com/ viropharma.com]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Viropharma}} Category:Companies formerly listed on the Nasdaq Category:Pharmaceutical companies established in 1994 Category:Biotechnology companies established in 1994 Category:Biotechnology companies of the United States Category:Defunct pharmaceutical companies of the United States Category:Health care companies based in Pennsylvania Category:Defunct companies based in Pennsylvania Category:Companies based in Chester County, Pennsylvania Category:Life sciences industry Category:American companies established in 1994 Category:1994 establishments in Pennsylvania Category:Pharmaceutical companies disestablished in 2014 Category:2014 disestablishments in Pennsylvania Category:2014 mergers and acquisitions