NanoViricides Inc (NYSE-A:NNVC) has announced the promising efficacy of its antiviral drug candidate NV-387 in combating Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infection in an animal model.
NV-387, the active ingredient of NV-CoV-2, the company's COVID treatment, has already entered Phase 1a/1b human clinical trials. Upon completion of the current trials, the company plans to advance NV-387 into Phase II studies for RSV, accelerating the drug's development and enhancing return on investment.
In a statement, Dr Anil Diwan, president and executive chairman of NanoViricides commented: "We are very pleased with the extremely high effectiveness of NV-387 in combating RSV."
He added: "Importantly, both oral administration and intravenous injection of NV-387 were highly effective. This study further establishes the broad-spectrum antiviral effectiveness of NV-387, and further solidifies our novel nanoviricides platform technology."
RSV infection poses a significant threat to children worldwide, with thousands of hospitalizations each year. While two vaccines have been approved for RSV prophylaxis in adults, there are currently no effective therapeutics available for infants and children. Ribavirin, a conditional treatment, carries significant side effects, and Synagis (palivizumab) is limited to prophylactic use. The market size for RSV therapeutics is projected to reach $8.73 billion by 2031, according to GrowthPlus Reports.
NanoViricides noted that the animal model study revealed that animals treated with NV-387 survived for 15 days, closely matching the efficacy of ribavirin treatment, compared to the seven-day survival for those given the injection vehicle solution or oral drug vehicle alone. Unlike ribavirin, NV-387 exhibited excellent safety in preclinical studies, offering the potential for increased dosage and frequency to enhance its effectiveness.
NanoViricides developed NV-387 as a broad-spectrum, pan-coronavirus antiviral in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The drug, designed to mimic cell surfaces and trap viruses, incorporates a unique antiviral mechanism called 'Re-Infection Blocker'. The company anticipates NV-387's efficacy against a wide range of viruses, including coronaviruses.
Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com