(Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson (N:JNJ) said on Wednesday its experimental flu drug significantly reduced viral load in patients with a type of influenza in a mid-stage study.
The trial was testing the drug, pimodivir, as a monotherapy or in combination with a widely-used flu treatment called oseltamivir for the treatment of acute uncomplicated seasonal influenza.
Data showed that treatment with pimodivir alone resulted in a statistically significant reduction in viral load in patients over seven days from the start of dosing, compared with a placebo, J&J said.
Adding pimodivir to oseltamivir also resulted in a significantly lower viral load compared to those who received pimodivir alone, the healthcare conglomerate added.
J&J said it expects to begin a late-stage trial in the second half of the year.
The Band-aid maker bought the worldwide rights to pimodivir from Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc (O:VRTX) in 2014, and its development is being funded in part by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
More than one billion people suffer from influenza worldwide each year, resulting in about five million cases of severe illness and up to half a million deaths, J&J said.