NanoViricides, Inc. (OTC BB: NNVC) (the "Company") announced today that an anti-influenza drug candidate under its FluCide™ program is effective when given orally. The Company has received information that a FluCide drug candidate designed for oral administration has shown very strong efficacy in corresponding animal studies. This information was received from the contract laboratory that performed the studies, namely, KARD Scientific, Inc. The studies involved the same highly lethal animal model the Company has continued to use for its influenza drug development program. The Company is awaiting data from the studies and intends to release additional information as the data are analyzed and studied.
“We are very excited by the success of this oral administration study and look forward to the data”
"We are pleasantly surprised that the modifications that we have been studying for the development of a nanoviricide® that can be orally effective have indeed succeeded," said Anil R. Diwan, PhD, President of the Company. "Molecules that nanomedicines are comprised of are notoriously difficult to develop into orally available drugs. This is indeed a coup for our nanomedicine technologies," he further explained.
"We are very excited by the success of this oral administration study and look forward to the data," said Randall W. Barton, Chief Scientific Officer of the Company, adding "An orally available FluCide will have a significant impact on our anti-influenza program."
"An orally administered drug is highly desirable for treating out-patient influenza," elaborated Eugene Seymour, MD, MPH, CEO of the Company, adding further, "This will complement our proposed IV piggy-back therapy for the critically ill hospitalized patients. This administration route enables quick and strong response."