NanoViricides Inc., a development-stage company focused on special purpose nanomaterials for viral therapy, today announced that its anti-Dengue drug candidates demonstrated positive results in the initial animal survival studies of Dengue virus infection.
The Dengue virus, a member the family of viruses that includes West Nile and Hepatitis C viruses, is transmitted to humans through female Aedes mosquitoes. According to the World Health Organization, fatality rates of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever/Dengue Shock Syndrome (DHF/DSS) can exceed 20 percent.
WHO also reports that Dengue threatens more than 40 percent of the world population, and that Dengue cases with significant fatality rates are rising in tropical countries this year. Currently, there aren’t any approved vaccines for prevention, nor are there any drugs for treatment of Dengue virus infection.
NanoViricides said the positive results of its recent study hint at a possible candidate against the disease.
“The first screen has already shown that we are on the right path,” Anil R. Diwan, PhD, president of NanoViricides stated in the press release. “We believe we have at least one potential drug candidate against Dengue now.”
The company’s clinical study was conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Eva Harris, professor of Infectious Diseases at the University of California, Berkely. Dr. Harris and her team of researchers developed the animal model “Antibody-Dependent Enhancement” for the most severe form of Dengue virus infection in humans, which may lead to DHF/DSS.
Results of the study demonstrated a 50 percent survival rate of the animals in the ADE model; additionally, the length of survival of animals treated with several Dengue nanoviricides surpassed the length of survival for animals treated with the vehicle alone.
“We are very excited about these results,” Dr. Harris stated. “This is a very important demonstration of a viable drug candidate leading to significant survival in the ADE model of Dengue virus infection. I believe nanoviricides show great promise in our model and against severe dengue disease.”
Eugene Seymour, MD, MPH, CEO of NanoViricides, said the company is rapidly moving forward in its focus on solidifying its nanoviricide technology.
“We have been able to produce an effective drug candidate against dengue in a very short time,” Dr. Seymour stated. “This demonstrates the strength of the nanoviricides technology platform.”
For more information, visit www.nanoviricides.com
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