All over the world, government labs, universities, pharmaceutical and biotech companies are rushing to find solutions to the possible avian flu pandemic. This page includes updates on some of the major efforts underway.
Peramivir
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Peramivir, from BioCryst Pharmaceuticals looks very promising. The drug is an injectable form of a neuraminaidase inhibitor like Tamiflu or Relenza.
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BioCryst's CEO was quoted in the New York Times as saying that Peramivir would be much easier and cheaper to produce than Tamiflu and that 8 million doses could be produced quickly. In 6-9 months production could be scaled up to 10 million doses per month.
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Unpublished animal data on Perimivir suggests that, due to its very long half life, the drug maintains its anti-influenza activity for as long as 10 days following a single intravenous dose.
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Clinical (Phase 1) studies may begin in 2006. Unfortunately, without some form of fast-track, the drug would not be available for several years.
Fludase
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Fludase, from NextBio Inc. is an inhalant that inhibits the attachment of viruses to cells, rendering the cells inaccessible to the viruse. It is designed to work with any virus that attaches to a receptor on any cell, so it should stop any influenza strain.
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t looks promising for helping the elderly and others with immune deficiencies who are still vulnerable even after a vaccination.
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Fludase is in Phase 2 clinical trials, and has had success in mice. The company is applying for FDA fast-track approval.
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The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded the company a $6 million Phase II SBIR Grant to further test the company's lead drug Fludase.
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When Fludase might be approved and available is unknown.
ALN-RSV01
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ALN-RSV01, from Alnylans Pharmaceuticals is an RNAi therapeutic in clinical trails in Europe.
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ALN-RSV01 is a small interfering RNA (siRNA) that is designed to selectively and potently silence the RSV nucleocapsid 'N' gene in viruses, which are essential for viral reproduction.
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ALN-RSV01 has been recently granted FDA permission for Phase 1 trials in the U.S. The trial underway in the U.S. is expected to enroll 35 healthy adult male volunteers.
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When the drug might be approved and available is unknown. Preliminary data from the Phase 1 trials should be available in the first half of 2006.
FluMist for Bird Flu
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The National Institutes of Health (U.S.) are planning human trials in April 2006 of a live H5N1 virus vaccine spray, based on FluMist, the nasal-spray vaccine that prevents regular winter flu.
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Regular vaccines are made with killed virus cultures. This FluMist will be based on live cultures of the H5N1 virus. The virus should be weakened enough to prevent infection, yet strong enough to provoke a measurable immune response. One of the positives about this approach is that live viruses produce better immune stimulation.
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This new vaccine approach may not only protect against the bird flu strain: It offers the potential for rapid, off-the-shelf protection against whatever novel variation of the constantly evolving influenza virus shows up next.
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This approach is promising but highly experimental, as are the other medicines in development that are mentioned above. Because the virus mutates so quickly, the NIH team is uncertain whether the virus strain they are using is the best possible pick.
