AVI BioPharma Receives Approval Of Nonproprietary Name Eteplirsen (AVII)

AVI BioPharma AVII, a developer of RNA-based therapeutics, today announced that the United States Adopted Names Council has approved the nonproprietary name eteplirsen for AVI-4658, the Company's exon-skipping therapy for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a genetic muscle wasting disease caused by the absence of functional dystrophin. In addition, the World Health Organization has approved eteplirsen as the International Nonproprietary Name for AVI-4658. AVI has announced plans to initiate a Phase 2 study of eteplirsen in June, and is currently conducting NDA-enabling activities to prepare for the initiation of a pivotal study in the second half of 2012. These activities include the initiation of additional animal toxicology studies to allow for long-term dosing and the implementation of large-scale GMP production processes to have drug supply available for the pivotal study.