Biota Holdings Limited has received notice from Boehringer Ingelheim that their 2006 Collaboration and Licence Agreement (CLA) for the development of nucleoside drugs for the treatment of hepatitis C (HCV) infections has concluded.

Under the CLA, the parties worked jointly on the research programme from late 2006 until November 2009, at which stage the programme was transferred to Boehringer Ingelheim. Boehringer Ingelheim cited lack of progress on identifying a suitable pre-clinical candidate from the program as the key reason for the decision. Rights revert to Biota with the conclusion of the Agreement.

Biota further advises that negotiations on the licensing of the LANI (long acting neuraminidase inhibitors) and HRV (human rhinovirus) programs are continuing.

Biota is a leading anti-infective drug development company based in Melbourne Australia, with key expertise in respiratory diseases, particularly influenza.