ViroPharma sets up European subsidiary

Pennsylvania, USA-based ViroPharma says it now plans to establish a wholly-owned subsidiary in Europe to deal with European regulatory strategy and commercialization of maribavir, the company's selective oral antiviral targeting cytomegalovirus, without a strategic partner.

"This is an exciting time for ViroPharma as we have made the decision to launch our European initiatives to meet the medical needs of European transplant patients," commented Michel de Rosen, the firm's chief executive.

He explained that "maribavir is an extraordinary compound; it could make a major difference for physicians and patients throughout the world. Our management team has vast experience in European commercialization and development, and we already have the interest of many European key opinion leaders thanks to our strong Phase II data and ongoing Phase III program. We believe that establishing European operations will provide numerous benefits to us and our stockholders, including the potential for an ex-US revenue stream that we anticipate will significantly offset the necessary infrastructure investments; this is the best way for ViroPharma to maximize the value of maribavir."