FDA Modifies Partial Clinical Hold on Tekmira's TKM-Ebola IND to Allow Multiple Dosing of Healthy Volunteers

Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corp. has announced that FDA has notified the company that the partial clinical hold on the company's Investigational New Drug application (IND) for TKM-Ebola has been modified to permit repeat dosing of healthy volunteers at a dose of 0.24 mg/kg/day. The IND remains on partial clinical hold with regard to doses above 0.24 mg/kg/day in healthy volunteers.

Tekmira plans to resume the TKM-Ebola Phase I clinical trial in the coming weeks. The study is a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled study involving repeat dosing of a single cohort of healthy volunteers. Each subject will receive daily doses of 0.24mg/kg of TKM-Ebola or placebo for up to seven days. TKM-Ebola will be administered without steroid pre-medication. Results from the study are expected in the second half of 2015.

In July 2014, the company received notice from FDA placing the TKM-Ebola IND on clinical hold until additional information was provided and the multiple ascending dose portion of the trial protocol was modified to ensure the safety of healthy volunteers. The clinical hold was subsequently modified in August to a partial clinical hold to permit the administration of TKM-Ebola to patients with a suspected or confirmed Ebola virus infection.