BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Sinks; WHO Notes Ebola Safety Data Unavailable

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. BCRX shares fell sharply after the World Health Organization posted a draft document suggesting it would not advise the company's Ebola therapy for use in humans until further safety data is available.

The drug development company said Thursday it's consulting the WHO at a meeting in Geneva this week.

BioCryst, which is developing its BCX4430 Ebola drug candidate -- the drug with $24.4 million from the National Institutes of Health -- said August 29 it will soon begin a study of the drug in non-human primates.

The WHO document covers various potential Ebola treatments and was prepared in advance of the Geneva meeting. The document cautions that it isn't a "formal publication" of WHO.

Recent media coverage of experimental treatments "is creating some unrealistic expectations," according to the document. "The public needs to understand that these medical products are under investigation."

BioCryst shares have gained 15 percent in the past three months. Shares traded recently at $12.27, down 3.8 percent.