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news.In ongoing trials, AVI BioPharma has successfully used its Neugene antisense technology to combat the Ebola and Marburg viruses and to interrupt the cellular mechanism that ricin and anthrax toxins employ to induce lethal toxicity.
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The trials are being partially funded by The US Department of Defense and carried out in collaboration with the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID).
Ebola virus studies in three animal species have been conducted at USAMRIID. The studies provided evidence of robust efficacy in multiple experiments conducted on mice, guinea pigs and nonhuman primates.
Previous attempts by USAMRIID to treat Ebola virus with other technologies have demonstrated few successes in treating all three species.
In animals infected with high doses of Marburg virus that were nearly 100 percent lethal in untreated animals, a high survival rate was observed in single agent protocols targeting distinct Marburg genes.
The antisense agents were virus-specific; antisense treatment targeting Ebola virus did not protect animals against Marburg virus.
In cell culture studies, where ricin was 100 percent lethal, greater than 75 percent cellular viability was achieved with antisense targeting the ricin binding site on ribosomal RNA. These preliminary results indicated that the approach was feasible and proof of principle has been established.
Preliminary survival experiments in mice exposed to anthrax showed that almost all antisense-treated mice survived a lethal challenge with anthrax spores. More robust experimentation is planned evaluating efficacy against anthrax infection.
“We believe AVI’s technology, which has demonstrated an excellent pharmacokinetic and safety profile in humans, may be directed against a broad range of potential biodefense threats, and we are encouraged by the results we have seen to date,” said Dr Denis Burger, chief executive officer of AVI. “Our work with the DoD allows us to develop drugs that have an important public health impact, and we are now applying our technology to address the potential emergence of avian influenza H5N1.”