* Says all 3 doses show statistical significance * Says drug was generally safe and well-tolerated * Q1 loss/shr $0.06 vs est loss/shr $0.16 * Revenue $26.1 mln vs est $19.6 mln April 28 (Reuters) - BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc said its experimental gout drug showed positive results in the first part of a mid-stage trial and it reported a narrower-than-expected quarterly loss. The company said the drug BCX4208 showed a statistically significant reduction in serum uric acid levels compared to a dummy drug in all its three dosages. The main goal of the 21-day study was to record the change in serum uric acid concentration after 21 days of treatment in patients with gout. Roughly 5 million Americans have gout, in which uric acid build-up can cause swollen joints. The drug was generally safe and well-tolerated, BioCryst said in a statement. Net loss for the first quarter was $2.6 million, or 6 cents a share, compared with $9.3 million, or 24 cents a share, a year ago. Revenue grew 83 percent to $26.1 million, helped by milestone payments from its Japanese partner Shionogi & Co Ltd . Analysts on average expected the company to post a loss of 16 cents a share, on revenue of $19.6 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Shares of the company closed at $7.03 Tuesday on Nasdaq. (Reporting by Krishnakali Sengupta in Bangalore; Editing by Anne Pallivathuckal) Keywords: BIOCRYST/ (krishnakali.sengupta@thomsonreuters.com; within U.S. +1 646 223 8780; outside U.S. +91 80 4135 5800; Reuters Messaging: krishnakali.sengupta.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved.
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