PHASE I HEPATITIS C VIRUS TRIAL BEGINS

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals announced the initiation of a Phase I antiviral study of Tarvacin, an antiphospholipid therapy candidate. The study is an open-label, dose-escalation study in up to 32 adult patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection who either no longer respond to or failed standard therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin combination therapy.

The objectives of the trial are to evaluate safety, pharmacokinetics and viral load following a single intravenous infusion. The study is being conducted at Bach and Godofsky Infectious Diseases, located in Bradenton, Fla.