Chimerix to Present at Cowen and Company's 32nd Annual Health Care Conference

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., March 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Chimerix, Inc., a biotechnology company developing novel antiviral therapeutics, today announced that Kenneth I. Moch, President and Chief Executive Officer, will present at Cowen and Company's 32nd Annual Health Care Conference on Tuesday, March 6, 2012 at 3:00 pm ET at The Boston Marriott Copley Place in Boston, Massachusetts.

Mr. Moch's presentation will include an update on the company's clinical pipeline, which includes its lead development program, CMX001.  CMX001 is being tested in ongoing placebo-controlled clinical trials and in open-label treatment protocols for the prophylaxis, preemption and treatment of double-stranded DNA viruses (dsDNA) viruses, including herpesviruses and adenoviruses, and as a potential biodefense countermeasure in the event of a smallpox release. CMX001 recently announced results for Study 201, a Phase 2 double-blind, placebo-controlled trial which evaluated the safety, tolerability and ability of CMX001 to prevent or control cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in 230 CMV-seropositive allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients. CMX001 had a statistically significant benefit versus placebo in preventing CMV viremia and/or CMV disease 13 weeks post-transplant. These data were presented during the "Best Abstracts Plenary Session" at the 2012 BMT Tandem Meetings on February 3rd in San Diego.

About Chimerix

Chimerix is developing novel antiviral therapeutics with the potential to transform patient care in multiple settings, including transplant, oncology, acute care and global health. Utilizing proprietary lipid conjugate technology, the company's two clinical stage compounds have demonstrated the potential for enhanced activity, bioavailability and safety compared to currently approved drugs.

The company's lead candidate, CMX001, is a Lipid-Antiviral-Conjugate that delivers high intracellular levels of the active antiviral agent cidofovir-diphosphate and has broad spectrum activity against dsDNA viruses in vitro. CMX001 has completed Phase 2 clinical development for the prophylaxis of CMV and is in Phase 2 development for the preemption and treatment of adenovirus infection in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. Antiviral activity results from completed and ongoing studies, coupled with the lack of myelotoxicity and nephrotoxicity seen in currently available therapies, indicate that CMX001 has the potential to improve outcomes for immunosuppressed patients. To date, more than 700 patients have been dosed with CMX001 in placebo-controlled clinical trials and open-label treatment protocols.

In addition to the company's development of its lead candidate, CMX001 is also being developed as a medical countermeasure in the event of a smallpox release, with the potential to provide an important therapeutic option for the 80 million people in the US currently estimated to be immunocompromised, or a household contact of a contraindicated individual, and thus not candidates to receive a smallpox vaccine (see http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/vaccination/contraindications-clinic.asp). Chimerix has received federal funding for the development of CMX001 as a medical countermeasure against smallpox from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases under Grant No. U01-A1057233 and from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Office of the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. HHSO100201100013C.

Chimerix's second clinical-stage antiviral compound, CMX157, is a Lipid-Antiviral-Conjugate that delivers high intracellular levels of the active antiviral agent tenofovir-diphosphate. CMX157 is in development as a potent nucleoside analogue against HIV and HBV infections, and has the potential to directly address several limitations of current therapies. CMX157 has completed a Phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers, providing pharmacokinetic data which support the compound's enhanced characteristics.

Led by an experienced antiviral drug development team, Chimerix is also leveraging its lipid conjugate technology and extensive chemical library to pursue new treatments for hepatitis C virus, influenza, and other areas of high unmet medical need. For additional information on Chimerix, please visit http://www.chimerix.com.

SOURCE Chimerix, Inc.