NanoViricides, Inc. (OTC BB: NNVC.OB) (the "Company") reports that the results of the evaluation of several of its nanoviricides® anti-Ebola agents were presented July 17th at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Virology, July 17-21, at Montana State University, Bozeman, MT. Dr. Corinne Scully delivered the presentation, which was entitled "Polymeric Micelle Nanomaterials as Antiviral Compounds For Ebola Virus Infection."
“Polymeric Micelle Nanomaterials as Antiviral Compounds For Ebola Virus Infection.”
The studies were performed in the laboratory of Dr. Gene Olinger at the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Frederick, MD.
In cell culture screening assays, the nanoviricides® were evaluated for cytotoxicity and for inhibition of Ebola virus infection. Several of the nanoviricides demonstrated a dose-dependent inhibition of Ebola virus infectivity with no toxicity of uninfected cells at concentrations that were effective against the virus.
A subset of the nanoviricides that were effective in cell culture was selected for testing in vivo in a mouse model of Ebola infection. The compounds were well tolerated by the animals and showed some efficacy against the mouse-adapted Ebola virus. Efficacy of nanoviricides treatment against Ebola virus was demonstrated by an increase in lifespan in this uniformly 100% lethal animal model.
The Company developed a library of chemical ligands that were expected to bind to the Ebola virus envelope proteins. The results reported at this meeting will help guide the synthesis of next generation anti-Ebola nanoviricides in a lead optimization synthetic program. Optimized nanoviricides will also be evaluated against other similar Hemorrhagic Fever Viruses, e.g. Marburg virus.
Based on the current results and previous success with another hemorrhagic fever virus (viz. Dengue), the Company believes that it can develop a single nanoviricide drug that is highly effective against both Ebola and Marburg filoviruses. Developing a single drug against the various Ebola and Marburg viruses has been a major challenge for researchers in the field. Currently there are no approved vaccines or therapeutics for the prevention or treatment of Ebola and Marburg viruses.
Ebola/Marburg viruses are a major concern both as potential global health threats and as potential threat agents for Biosecurity and Biodefense, and are identified as Category A agents. Ebola outbreaks have resulted in fatality rates as high as 80% in humans (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/index.html).
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