XML 36 R8.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.21.2
Background Information
3 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2021
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Background Information

1.Background Information

 

BioVie Inc. (the “Company” or “we” or “our”) is a clinical-stage company developing innovative drug therapies to treat chronic debilitating conditions including liver disease and neurological and neuro-degenerative disorders and certain cancers.

 

In liver disease, our Orphan Drug candidate BIV201 (continuous infusion terlipressin) is being developed as a future treatment option for patients suffering from ascites and other life-threatening complications of advanced liver cirrhosis caused by NASH, hepatitis, and alcoholism. The initial target for BIV201 therapy is refractory ascites. These patients suffer from frequent life-threatening complications, generate more than $5 billion in annual treatment costs, and have an estimated 50% mortality rate within 6 to 12 months. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved any drug to treat refractory ascites. A Phase 2a clinical trial of BIV201 was completed in 2019, and a multi-center, randomized 30-patient Phase 2b trial is currently underway. As of October 31, 2021, the nine planned US study centers have been activated and are actively screening patients, and multiple patients have been enrolled in the study. The FDA has communicated to us that pending positive Phase 2 study results, a sufficiently large and well-controlled Phase 3 trial, with supportive trend data from the Phase 2b (statistical significance not required), could potentially yield the clinical data needed to apply for BIV201 marketing approval. The Phase 2b clinical trial protocol is summarized on www.clinicaltrials.gov, trial identifier NCT04112199.at nine US study centers. (NCT04112199). Top-line results from this trial are expected in mid-2022, to be followed by a proposed single pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial beginning in late 2022. In June 2021, BioVie received written feedback from the FDA in response to a Type B meeting request to conduct a pivotal US Phase 3 clinical trial in HRS-AKI, which is a life-threatening complication of advanced ascites. Based on the guidance received in subsequent communications with the FDA, we are revising certain elements of our proposed study and are planning to initiate this study in early 2022.

 

The BIV201 development program was initiated by LAT Pharma LLC. On April 11, 2016, the Company acquired LAT Pharma LLC and the rights to its BIV201 development program. The Company currently owns all development and marketing rights to its drug candidate. Pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger entered into on April 11, 2016, between our predecessor entities, LAT Pharma LLC and NanoAntibiotics, Inc., BioVie is obligated to pay a low single digit royalty on net sales of BIV201 (continuous infusion terlipressin) to be shared among LAT Pharma Members, PharmaIn Corporation, and The Barrett Edge, Inc.

 

In neurodegenerative disease, BioVie acquired the biopharmaceutical assets of NeurMedix, Inc. (“NeurMedix”), a privately held clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, in June 2021 (See Note 5 Related Party Transactions). The acquired assets included NE3107, a potentially selective inhibitor of inflammatory ERK signaling that, based on animal studies, is believed to reduce neuroinflammation. NE3107 is a novel orally administered small molecule that is thought to inhibit inflammation-driven insulin resistance and major pathological inflammatory cascades with a novel mechanism of action. There is emerging scientific consensus that both inflammation and insulin resistance may play fundamental roles in the development of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease, and NE3107 could, if approved represent an entirely new medical approach to treating these devastating conditions affecting an estimated 6 million Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s and 1 million from Parkinson’s. The FDA has authorized a potentially pivotal Phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group, multicenter study to evaluate NE3107 in subjects who have mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease (NCT04669028). In August 2021, the study was initiated and the Company is anticipating top line results in late calendar year 2022.

 

In September 2021, the FDA authorized the Company to initiate a Phase 2 study assessing NE3107’s potential pro-motoric impact in Parkinson’s disease patients, and to assess its safety and tolerability. The NM201 study (NCT05083260) is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics study in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) participants treated with carbidopa/levodopa and NE3107. Forty patients with a defined L-dopa “off state” will be randomized 1:1 placebo: active 20 mg twice daily for 28 days. Safety assessments will look at standard measures of patient health and potential for drug-drug interactions affecting L-dopa PK and activity. Efficacy assessments will use the Motor Disease Society Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating (MDS-UPDRS) parts 1-4, Hauser ON/OFF Diary, and Non-Motor Symptom Scale. This study is planned to start in early 2022.

 

Inflammation-driven insulin resistance is believed to be implicated in a broad range of serious diseases, including multiple myeloma and prostate cancer, and we plan to begin exploring these opportunities in the coming months using NE3107 or related compounds acquired in the NeurMedix asset purchase. NE3107 is patented in the United States, Australia, Canada, Europe and South Korea.