Biopharmaceutical company Human Genome Sciences Inc. announced its priority goals for 2009, saying it expects revenue of $250 million or higher in 2009, including revenue from ABthrax, with net cash burn of less than $25 million.

 

The company said it was confident it would deliver 20,000 doses of ABthrax to the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile early in the year. The company will have the results of two Phase 3 trials of LymphoStat-B in systemic lupus erythematosus in July and November, respectively, and expect to file marketing applications in the first half of 2010 if the treatment proves successful in these trials.

 

“We are confident we will deliver 20,000 doses of ABthrax to the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile early in the year and will receive at least $150 million in revenues in 2009,” H. Thomas Watkins, the chief executive officer, said in a statement.

 

Human Genome announced it had $365 million in cash and investments at the end of 2008. Shares of Human Genome closed at $1.88 Friday on Nasdaq and were trading up at $2.45 before the bell.

 

The company announced that Novartis has initiated dosing in a Phase 2b trial that will evaluate the safety and efficacy of Albuferon(R) (albinterferon alfa-2b) administered monthly in combination with ribavirin in treatment-naive patients with genotypes 2 and 3 chronic hepatitis C.

 

In December, Albuferon met its primary endpoint of non-inferiority to peginterferon alfa-2a (Pegasys) in ACHIEVE 2/3, a Phase 3 clinical trial of Albuferon in combination with ribavirin in treatment-naive patients with genotypes 2 and 3 chronic hepatitis C.