NanoViricides (NYSE-A:NNVC) has released new data which shows the strength of the antiviral activity of its lead drug asset NV-387 in RSV/A2, sending the company's shares 20% higher on Tuesday.
The company said that animals lethally infected in their lungs with RSV achieved full survival upon NV-387 oral treatment.
The study compared extended dosing of NV-387 with a high dose of ribavirin, the only currently approved drug for RSV infection, for the same duration. Two doses were given on the first day followed by a daily dose for the next nine days, for a total of 11 doses.
NV-387 given by this dosing regimen led to the survival of the mice beyond the 21-day study period, with no signs of disease observed on the final day.
Comparatively, the mice in the ribavirin arm did not survive longer than 14 days.
NanoViricides (NYSE-A:NNVC) believes NV-387 oral treatment is capable of RSV infection, noting that ribavirin can be used only as a last resort because its extensive toxicity limits its effectiveness.
Dr Anil Diwan, NanoViricides (NYSE-A:NNVC) CEO, highlighted the “extremely significant result” of the study for the company.
"To date, in our lethal infection animal models, we have not observed uniform survival with any of the treatments, including approved drugs, against viruses that include Influenza A, Smallpox/Mpox, and Coronaviruses,” Diwan said.
“Our studies are designed to be so lethal that the survival lifetime itself can be used as the ranking parameter to evaluate the effectiveness of a treatment. Complete survival is not expected in such studies unless the drug is extremely effective."
NanoViricides (NYSE-A:NNVC) is a development stage company that is creating special-purpose nanomaterials for antiviral therapy. It is advancing NV-387 for the treatment of RSV, COVID-19, Long COVID, Influenza, Bird Flu H5N1, and other respiratory viral infections.
Its US-listed shares traded 20% higher at US$2.18 shortly after noon on Tuesday.
- Updated with share price movement -