In February, Medivir announced its intention to initiate clinical development of its proprietary drug candidate MIV-711 for the treatment of Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), a rare bone disease with significant unmet medical need and no approved disease-modifying therapies. This new and strategically important investment in MIV-711 for OI is supported by the directed share issue to Carl Bennet AB, which raised SEK 45 million. The program has the potential to address a market opportunity of at least USD 2.5 billion, comparable to fostrox in primary liver cancer.
 
MIV-711 was granted Orphan Drug Designation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November 2025, providing important benefits, including market exclusivity following approval. As the company accelerates preparations to initiate a clinical study in OI, with the objective of establishing clinical proof-of-concept, the Scientific Expert Council will work closely with Medivir to provide strategic guidance and expertise on study design and execution, while also helping lay the foundation for the next phase of clinical development.
 
- “Having the possibility to learn about OI from a vastly experienced and highly renowned Scientific Expert Council ensures a vital foundation for designing and executing a clinical program in a rare disease. I am truly honored that we have been able to attract some of the world's leading experts in Osteogenesis Imperfecta to our Scientific Advisory Council, whose expertise and deep clinical knowledge will be critical in moving the clinical development of MIV-711 forward,” says Dr. Pia Baumann, Chief Medical Officer at Medivir.
 
- “For patients living with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, the burden of recurrent fractures and progressive skeletal fragility remains profound, and current therapies fall short of addressing the underlying mechanisms that drive disease progression. There is a critical need for treatments that can directly influence bone remodeling and improve structural integrity, rather than simply managing symptoms. Cathepsin K inhibition represents a promising approach, targeting a key enzyme involved in excessive bone resorption, with the potential to strengthen bone and reduce fracture rates. Advancing this type of therapy could mark an important step toward meeting the significant unmet medical need faced by the OI community,” says Dr. Andreas Kindmark, Uppsala University Hospital.
  
Members of Medivir’s Scientific Advisory Council:
 
Dr. Marelise Eekhoff is an internist‑endocrinologist and professor at Amsterdam UMC, where she leads the center for rare bone disorders, including Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva, Genetic Osteoporosis, Fibrous Dysplasia/MAS, and Camurati‑Engelmann among others. She is a highly active researcher and has contributed extensively to scientific literature spanning rare skeletal diseases, pre‑ and clinical pathophysiology, treatment, and clinical management. She is responsible for a significant number of clinical studies.
 
Dr. Richard Keen is a Consultant Rheumatologist and Director, Centre for Metabolic Bone Disease at Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, UK. He specialises in clinical research and development of novel therapies for adults with rare metabolic bone conditions. He is the Chair of the UK Brittle Bone Society's Scientific Advisory Board. He has published over 60 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals.
 
Dr. Andreas Kindmark is an Associate Professor and Senior Consultant in Endocrinology at Uppsala University Hospital. He is clinically active at the Metabolic Diseases Clinic, specializing in the investigation of skeletal metabolic disorders, and is heading the Uppsala University Hospital units for National Highly Specialized care for Osteogenesis Imperfecta and for Skeletal Dysplasias. Dr Kindmark is also responsible for the Uppsala University Hospital DXA unit at the department of radiology. His research interests span from epidemiological studies, through effects of hereditary factors influencing bone metabolism, and he heads a research group working to identify genes and genetic variants affecting bone health.
 
Dr. Bente Langdahl is a clinical professor, Department of Endocrinology and Internal medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. She specializes in metabolic bone disorders with particular focus on Osteoporosis and Osteogenesis Imperfecta. She is head of the Clinical Bone Research Center at Aarhus University Hospital. She has authored more than 300 peer‑reviewed scientific papers, contributing extensively to the understanding of Osteoporosis, rare bone diseases including Osteogenesis Imperfecta and genetics of bone disorders.
 
Dr. Oliver Semler is a pediatrician and professor at the University of Cologne, where he leads the department for rare skeletal diseases in childhood. His clinical and research work focuses on Osteogenesis Imperfecta and other skeletal dysplasias.  A highly active researcher, he has contributed extensively to the scientific literature, with numerous publications spanning OI pathophysiology, treatment, and clinical management.