FDA converts full hold on TKM-Ebola to partial hold

Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corp. (TSX:TKM; NASDAQ:TKMR) announced after market close on Thursday that FDA converted the full clinical hold it had placed on a Phase I trial of the company's TKM-Ebola to a partial hold. The company said the action "enables the potential use" of the product in individuals infected with Ebola virus. FDA placed the full clinical hold last month on safety concerns after Tekmira completed the single ascending-dose portion of the trial.

TKM-Ebola is a combination of short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting Zaire Ebola L polymerase, Zaire Ebola membrane-associated protein ( VP24) and Zaire Ebola polymerase complex protein ( VP35) formulated with Tekmira's lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology. The product is being developed under a contract worth up to $140 million from the U.S. Department of Defense's Transformational Medical Technologies. ...