Influenza normally kills 250, 000 to 500, 000 people around the world annually. Fatalities due to influenza increase in a pandemic.
But a new drug, CS 8958, developed by Daiichi Sanyo Company in Japan, may not only treat infected individuals, but may prevent infection as well.
Mice were infected with dose of H5N1 avian influenza that should have killed them and treated with either CS 8958 or Tamiflu 2 hours later. More mice in the CS 8958 group survived compared to those given Tamiflu. H5N1 is currently in circulation and it could mutate into a strain that is highly contagious from person to person. And it is deadlier than H1N1 swine influenza.
CS 8958, also known as laninamivir, is a neuraminidase inhibitor like Relenza and Tamiflu. Influenza viruses have a neuraminidase protein, which allows it to reproduce using the host cell. Laninamivir, like Relenza, is inhaled. Tamiflu is taken as a pill or liquid.
The goal of the Daiichi Sanyo is to bring the drug to market by March 2011. [Yahoo! Reuters]
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Biota is Daiichi`s partner for this drug-development.
Biota developed also RELENZA. No question CS-8958 (Laninamivir)
will be a goal.
with kind regards from germany
massel
[...] infect. The hope is that this will decrease the chance of the virus becoming resistant to the drug. Influenza has already developed resistance to three drugs that were developed to fight [...]