Chinese biotechnology company Shanghai Ark Biopharmaceutical Co Ltd ('ArkBio') announced on Thursday that all cohorts of healthy volunteers have been dosed in an Australian Phase I trial with AK0406, a novel long-acting antiviral-Fc conjugate (AFC) drug for influenza prophylaxis.

The clinical trial has now entered the follow-up phase.

AK0406 is a novel long-acting antiviral agent developed by ArkBio. By precisely conjugating highly potent antiviral drugs to an antibody Fc fragment, AK0406 is designed to provide sustained pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis and potential therapeutic benefits to the population, addressing unmet needs for influenza prevention.

Preclinical data show that AK0406 exhibits broad-spectrum high-potent activity against both influenza A and B viruses, retains Fc-mediated effector functions, and provides prolonged protective effect. AK0406 has been optimised to offer an ideal pharmacological profile for both prophylaxis and treatment of influenza infection, ArkBio said.