BioCryst wins $69m US contract to supply RAPIVAB for flu

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals has secured a contract worth up to $69 million from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the acquisition of RAPIVAB, aimed at treating influenza. This contract is designed to enhance the US Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) by providing up to 95,625 doses over a period of five years. The contract, managed by the HHS Office of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), includes an initial one-year base ordering period and four optional one-year extensions.

ASPR has already allocated $13.9 million for the initial order, with BioCryst planning to supply 19,125 doses by the end of September 2025. RAPIVAB had previously been utilized during the H1N1 influenza pandemic in 2009 under an emergency use authorization. BioCryst completed a prior $34.7 million contract related to RAPIVAB for the SNS in 2022.

RAPIVAB is approved in the US for the treatment of acute uncomplicated influenza in patients aged six months and older, who have displayed symptoms for no more than two days. Dr. Helen Thackray, BioCryst’s Chief Research and Development Officer, stated that RAPIVAB has been a crucial element in the US government’s efforts to prepare for influenza outbreaks since the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. She emphasized the importance of maintaining RAPIVAB as an available treatment option amidst ongoing changes in circulating influenza viruses.

RAPIVAB is administered intravenously, and its effectiveness has been demonstrated through clinical trials, predominantly against influenza A virus, with some cases of influenza B virus. The recommended dosage is 600mg for adults and adolescents, and 12mg per kilogram for children aged six months to 12 years.

Additionally, BioCryst received marketing authorization from Chile’s Public Health Institute in May 2023 for ORLADEYO, an oral treatment for hereditary angioedema attacks in patients aged 12 years and older.