SIGA BEGINS SMALLPOX DRUG TRIAL

Siga Technologies has reported that its lead drug candidate, SIGA-246, has begun Phase I clinical trials. Based on animal testing to date, SIGA believes that this candidate is a potent therapeutic drug against smallpox. The study will examine the safety and pharmacokinetics of SIGA-246 at different dosages in healthy volunteers.

SIGA-246 has demonstrated significant antiviral activity in various animal models of poxvirus disease, including the complete protection of golden ground squirrels from lethal doses of monkeypox virus.