Exclusive: GlaxoSmithKline CEO Eyes Drugs for Zika
GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK), who was a leader in the seasonal flu vaccine supply and first to deploy the Ebola candidate vaccine, is looking into drugs to battle the Zika virus.
“We are at very early stages but we have a very interesting technology which we are developing called self-amplifying micro RNA. It’s a very interesting area for us to pursue,” GlaxoSmithKline CEO Andrew Witty told the FOX Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo.
Witty says the company is also trying to improve global readiness for Zika with a new project that could be green-lighted in the U.S. within the next six to nine months.
“We’ve made proposals to global governments to create a permanent standby bi-preparedness research organization based here in the U.S.,” he said.
GlaxoSmithKline revealed on Wednesday positive results in the Phase-3 study for sirukamb, a human antibody developed for people with severe rheumatoid arthritis.