** Shares of drug developer Atea Pharmaceuticals AVIR.O rise 6.9% to $3.72 premarket
** Co says its drug combination met the main goal for treating Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) in a mid-stage study
** The combination of bemnifosbuvir and ruzasvir showed 98% success rate in eliminating HCV, co says
** Bemnifosbuvir and ruzasvir are both oral antiviral medications to treat HCV
** HCV is a leading cause of chronic liver diseases and liver transplants, affecting around 50 mln people worldwide
** As of last close, stock had risen 14.1% YTD
(Reporting by Kamal Choudhury in Bengaluru)
((Kamal.Choudhury@thomsonreuters.com;))