PRISM Pharma Publication: Atea (AVIR) Publishes Additional Data on Bemnifosbuvir

PRISM Pharma Index company Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AVIR), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing oral antiviral treatments for serious viral diseases, announced today the publication of data on the metabolic activation pathway of bemnifosbuvir in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS Biology. The article, titled “The activation cascade of the broad-spectrum antiviral bemnifosbuvir characterized at atomic resolution,” details the process by which bemnifosbuvir is converted into its active form, AT-9010, a 5′-triphosphate. Bemnifosbuvir, an oral nucleotide RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) inhibitor, is currently in Phase 3 development for COVID-19 treatment and Phase 2 development, in combination with ruzasvir, an oral NS5A inhibitor, for treating hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

The study reveals the atomic-resolution sequences required to transform bemnifosbuvir (AT-527) into AT-9010, which has shown selective inhibition of crucial RNA viral enzymes, resulting in strong antiviral activity. This activation pathway effectively halts HCV RNA synthesis through RNA chain termination and stops SARS-CoV-2 RNA synthesis by targeting two distinct sites within the replicase complex.

“We continue to expand our understanding of bemnifosbuvir, our direct-acting antiviral candidate derived from Atea’s purine nucleotide prodrug platform,” said Jean-Pierre Sommadossi, PhD, CEO and Founder of Atea Pharmaceuticals. “These findings highlight the sequence of reactions converting bemnifosbuvir (AT-527) into the active triphosphate metabolite AT-9010, which selectively inhibits key viral enzymes, enhancing its antiviral potency. The insights into critical drug-protein interactions provided in this publication reinforce bemnifosbuvir’s potential as an effective antiviral therapy for COVID-19, HCV, and possibly a broad spectrum of RNA viruses.”