NanoViricides Signs Herpes Virus Research Agreement With Ken Rosenthal Laboratory

NanoViricides said that under this agreement, Dr Rosenthal and coworkers are expected to evaluate the effectiveness of nanoviricides drug candidates against Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1). Cell culture models as well as in-vivo (animal) studies are expected to be employed for testing the drug candidates. This testing is expected to help the company develop an effective nanoviricide drug against oral and genital herpes.

Dr Rosenthal, professor of microbiology, immunology and biochemistry at Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy, claimed that he has been involved in the evaluation of HSV vaccines as well as anti-HSV drugs. His laboratory has developed an improved mouse model of skin-infection with HSV to follow the disease progression. A uniform disease pattern including onset of lesions and further progression to zosteriform lesions is observed in all animals in this model.

Additionally, this uniformity is useful for comparative testing of various drug candidates which, NanoViricides believes, can be expected to lead to a broad-spectrum anti-HSV antiviral treatment capable of attacking both HSV-1 and HSV-2.

NanoViricides has developed a library of small chemical ligands that bind to the herpes virus envelope proteins. Using these ligands, a number of candidate nanoviricides that are capable of attacking the herpes virus have been developed. The company believes that these nanoviricide drug candidates mimic the natural, common attachment function by which HSV-1 and HSV-2 bind to the body’s host cells.

Eugene Seymour, CEO of NanoViricides, said: “We are very excited about this association with the Rosenthal Lab. We will now be able to evaluate our anti-herpes therapeutics.”