Achillion Pharmaceuticals (ACHN)

Website: www.Achillion.com

"Innovative Treatments For Infectious Diseases"

Achillion Pharmaceuticals (ACHN) is an innovative pharmaceutical company dedicated to bringing important new treatments to patients with infectious disease. The company's proven discovery and development teams have advanced multiple product candidates with novel mechanisms of action. Achillion is focused on solutions for the most challenging problems in infectious disease – HCV, HIV and resistant bacterial infections.

Its products include ACH-1095, a NS4A antagonist that is in late-stage preclinical studies for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C infections; ACH-1625, a protease inhibitor, which is in the preparation for phase I initiation for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C infections; ACH-702, a preclinical candidate that is in preclinical stage with potency against a spectrum of bacterial pathogens, including methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus for drug resistant bacterial infections; and Elvucitabine, which completed phase II studies for the treatment of HIV infection. The company has a collaboration arrangement with Gilead Sciences, Inc. to develop and commercialize compounds for use in treating hepatitis C infection, which inhibit viral replication through a mechanism of action.

• Announced that Michael D. Kishbauch, Achillion's President and Chief Executive Officer, will lead the Company's management team in hosting a Corporate and Clinical Update conference call on Monday, February 1, 2010 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time. Management will bring investors up to date on the Company's progress and plans in its three distinct HCV programs.

• Reported additional preliminary data from its on-going phase 1b clinical trial of ACH-1625 which demonstrated that the second dosing cohort receiving treatment with ACH-1625 achieved a mean 4.25 log10 reduction in HCV RNA after five-day monotherapy, with continued good safety and tolerability in patients with hepatitis C (HCV). ACH-1625 is an inhibitor of HCV NS3 protease that was discovered and is being developed by Achillion.

• Elvucitabine is currently completing its Phase 2 clinical development program. To date, multiple Phase 2 trials have been successfully completed, and data has been presented at a variety of medical meetings. 

Recent News and Press Releases

Achillion Announces Positive 96-Week Data for Elvucitabine at the 17th Annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections

Achillion Announces License Agreement for Elvucitabine Development in China

Achillion Announces Nomination of ACH-2684 as Lead Clinical Candidate in Resistance-Focused HCV Program

Achillion to Host Corporate and Clinical Update Conference Call on Monday, February 1, 2010

Achillion Prices $21.4 Million Public Offering of Common Stock

Achillion Announces Additional Positive Phase 1b Data With ACH-1625 to Treat Hepatitis C

For the latest Quote and News on ACHN Click Here.

Pipeline

HCV Protease Inhibitor ACH-1625

In Phase 1

The Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is the most common cause of viral hepatitis, which is an inflammation of the liver. It is currently estimated that over 170 million people are infected with HCV worldwide and The American Association of Liver Disease estimates that up to 85% of individuals become chronically infected following exposure. If left untreated, chronic hepatitis can lead to permanent liver damage, which can result in the development of liver cancer, liver failure or death. Few therapeutic options currently exist for the treatment of HCV infection. The current standard of care is limited by its specificity for certain types of HCV, significant side-effect profile, injectable route of administration and high cost.

Achillions approach in developing new therapies for HCV is two-fold: First, Achillion is developing ACH-1095, a candidate that specifically recognizes a new HCV target, NS4A. Second, in a proprietary program targeting the HCV NS3 protease, Achillion is advancing ACH-1625, a potent HCV inhibitor with an excellent safety profile and unique pharmacokinetics suggestive of once-daily dosing.

NS4A Antagonists

Pre-Clinical

In collaboration with its partner Gilead Sciences, Achillion is developing a series of product candidates that specifically recognize a new HCV target, NS4A. As a result of their novel mechanism of action, broad potency against HCV, potential for oral administration and demonstrated lack of cross resistance, Achillion believes there could be significant commercial opportunity for its series of compounds.

ACH-702

Pre-Clinical

CDC data show that antibacterial resistance has been increasing dramatically over the past few decades. Resistance is most pronounced in the hospital setting, where heavy use of antibiotics creates an ideal environment for the development of drug resistance. Approximately 70% of nosocomial, or hospital-based infections, are now resistant to at least one antibiotic.

Historically, the pharmaceutical industry was able to keep pace with the need for new antibacterial drugs. However, since 1968, only two new classes of antibacterials have been brought to market, and unfortunately, these treatments face one or more of the following limitations: limited potency, lack of a bactericidal (bacteria-killing) mechanism of action, narrow spectrum of activity, the need for intravenous or injectable administration and adverse side effects.

Achillion is advancing ACH-702, an internally discovered compound, for the treatment of serious nosocomial bacterial infections. ACH-702 has a novel target profile against bacterial DNA replication enzymes and potent broad-spectrum bactericidal activity, characteristics that indicate it may play an important role in the fight against drug-resistant bacteria.

Elvucitabine

Completed Phase 2

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) causes a viral infection that, left untreated, results in the development of the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS. Currently, there is no cure for HIV infection, nor are there any preventative or therapeutic vaccines. Although there are more than two dozen antiretroviral drugs on the market, all have limitations and resistant strains of HIV continue to emerge.

As a result, industry continues to focus on the development of new antiviral agents that offer effective treatment for patients who no longer respond to existing therapy. In order to address these unmet medical needs, Achillion is developing elvucitabine for the treatment of HIV. Elvucitabine has demonstrated potent antiviral activity against HIV, including strains resistant to other NRTIs. Elvucitabine has also demonstrated a significantly longer half-life than the other marketed drugs in its class and subsequently may delay the emergence of resistance and prolong the effectiveness of therapy.

Data Overview

Elvucitabine is currently completing its Phase 2 clinical development program. To date, multiple Phase 2 trials have been successfully completed, and data has been presented at a variety of medical meetings. One Phase 2 trial remains on-going in an open-access extension of up to 96 weeks of treatment.

Two Month Chart

Management

Michael D. Kishbauch - President & CEO

Prior to joining Achillion in July 2004 as President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Kishbauch founded and served as President and Chief Executive Officer from September 2000 to July 2004 of OraPharma, Inc., a publicly traded, commercial-stage pharmaceutical company focused on oral health care, which was acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 2003.

Prior to OraPharma, Inc., Mr. Kishbauch held senior management positions with MedImmune, Inc. Mr. Kishbauch is a director of ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He holds an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in biology from Wesleyan University.

Milind S. Deshpande, Ph.D. - Executive Vice President of Research & Chief Scientific Officer

Dr. Deshpande joined Achillion in September 2001 as Vice President of Chemistry, was named Head of Drug Discovery in April 2002, Senior Vice President of Drug Discovery in December 2002, Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer in December 2004, and Executive Vice President of Research and Chief Scientific Officer in June 2007.

Prior to joining Achillion, Dr. Deshpande was Associate Director of Lead Discovery and Early Discovery Chemistry at the Pharmaceutical Research Institute at Bristol-Myers Squibb from 1991 to 2001, where he managed the identification of new clinical candidates to treat infectious and neurological diseases. From 1988 to 1991, he held a faculty position at Boston University Medical School. Dr. Deshpande received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Ohio University, following his undergraduate education in India.

Mary Kay Fenton - Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

Ms. Fenton, a certified public accountant, has led Achillion's financial function since October 2000. From 1991 to 2000, Ms. Fenton held various positions within the Technology Industry Group at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, most recently as Senior Manager responsible for the life sciences practice in Connecticut.

Prior to 1991, Ms. Fenton was an economic development associate in the nonprofit sector. Ms. Fenton holds an M.B.A. in Finance from the Graduate School of Business at the University of Connecticut and an A.B. in Economics from the College of the Holy Cross.

Contacts

Achillion Pharmaceuticals

300 George Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Phone: 203-624-7000
Fax: 203-624-7003

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