BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced it has transferred to 3-Dimensional Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (3DP), a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, rights to specific classes of compounds that act as inhibitors of proteins and enzymes in the Complement System. The compounds were discovered during the Collaborative Research Agreement between BioCryst and 3DP that was initiated in October 1996 and BioCryst effectively terminated the agreement on October 18, 2003. Terms related to the transfer of rights were not disclosed.

BioCryst will receive an initial payment from 3DP, and will receive royalties on any future sales of complement inhibitors covered under the assignment. "Our seven-year collaboration with 3DP produced several promising complement inhibitors," said Charles E Bugg, chairman and CEO of BioCryst. "BioCryst's current research priorities are focused on advancing the clinical oncology trial programme for our lead product candidate, BCX-1777. We also expect to move our next most promising product candidates, BCX-3607, a tissue factor inhibitor, and BCX-4208, a second-generation, more potent PNP inhibitor, into the clinic in 2004. While we are eager to see the complement inhibitor programme make progress, the current timeframe for these other programmes and the internal resources they will demand make it difficult for us to focus on the complement inhibitors at this time. Transferring the rights to develop these selected complement inhibitors to 3DP is a good move for BioCryst."

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. designs, optimizes and develops novel drugs that block key enzymes essential for cancer, cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases and viral infections.