New flu drug under test on hospitalized patients by BioCryst

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc. is testing its intravenous flu drug on hospitalized flu patients across the globe.

The study will be conducted during the present and upcoming influenza seasons with enrollment expected in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. More than 200,000 Americans are hospitalized and 36,000 die annually from influenza and its complications, the company said in a news release.

The Birmingham-based company is testing peramivir, its leading flu inhibitor, intravenously to compare its effectiveness and safety with the orally administered version.