NexBio, Inc. announced today the publication in the Journal of Infectious Diseases of a preclinical study suggesting that treatment with DAS181 (Fludase®) may reduce the risk of secondary bacterial pneumonia following influenza virus infection. DAS181 is a broad spectrum host-targeted investigational drug candidate for treatment and prevention of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and has shown preclinical activity against numerous strains of influenza and parainfluenza virus. DAS181 blocks entry of these viruses into cells of the respiratory tract. DAS181 is currently being studied in a human phase II clinical trial funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (part of the National Institutes of Health) and monitored by an independent Data Safety Monitoring Board. More information about the study may be found at http://www.das181flustudy.com/ as well as at www.clinicaltrials.gov.
Unlike neuraminidase inhibitors (NAI) such as Tamiflu® (oseltamivir), as well as vaccines, which both target the influenza virus ("pathogen target"), DAS181 works by inactivating the human sialic acid receptors ("host target") for these viruses; thus, drug resistance may be less likely to emerge compared with currently-available antiviral drugs. Earlier publications have described DAS181's activity for Pandemic Influenza A(H1N1) and highly pathogenic avian H5N1, as well as against IFV resistant to NAIs such as Tamiflu®. In addition, NexBio has recently presented data from three independent studies in animal models of asthma, done with academic collaborators, demonstrating DAS181's potential benefit for airway diseases.
Secondary infection with bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), occurring after influenza virus (IFV) infection, is a major public health concern associated with an increased risk of death. Historical records suggest that a large number of influenza deaths occurring during the pandemics of 1918, 1957, and 1968 were the result of secondary bacterial pneumonia and not the initial influenza infection itself. Complications caused by secondary bacterial infections continue to be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality during seasonal influenza, and they represent an even more serious threat during pandemics, such as Pandemic Influenza A(H1N1).