BioCryst Pharmaceuticals says Shionogi & Co. will launch flu drug peramivir in Japan

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BioCryst says Japan partner will launch flu drug

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Tuesday its Japanese partner will start selling the flu drug peramivir in Japan under the name Rapiacta.

Shionogi & Co. will launch intravenous Rapiacta on Jan. 27.

The U.S. government has approved BioCryst’s intravenous flu drug peramivir as an emergency treatment for swine flu. The company expects to continue testing peramivir until 2011 to win full approval in the U.S. Peramivir is intended for patients who are too sick to take an oral drug.

Shares of BioCryst rose 18 cents, or 2.7 percent, to $6.93 in morning trading. Shares have traded between $1.15 and $13.47 over the last 52 weeks.