Apr 8 2008
NanoViricides, Inc., said that preliminary animal trials of the Company’s HIV therapeutic candidates have begun at a BioSafety Level 3 (BSL-3) Laboratory facility in Boston, MA. The initial results are expected before the end of next month. These animal studies will be conducted by Dr. Krishna Menon, PhD, VMD, MRCS, a world-renowned authority in preclinical and toxicological studies of innovative therapeutics.
“The purpose of this initial study is twofold: To assess therapeutic efficacy and to determine the appropriate dosages of drug that should be used in the later animal study,” said Eugene Seymour, MD, MPH, CEO of NanoViricides, adding further, “if initial performance goals are met, it will be a critical first step in validating the Company’s HivCide™-I as a potential treatment for HIV/AIDS. An expanded follow-on study will then be performed by researchers at a prestigious federal research institute.”
NanoViricides, Inc. is currently developing injectable formulations for systemic viral diseases such as HIV, human flu, bird flu (H5N1), Ebola, rabies and Dengue as well as eye drops for the virulent eye disease, epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC). “We believe that in the future, many of the nanoviricides, including HivCide-I, can potentially be delivered using long-acting skin-patch formulations,” said Dr. Seymour, adding, “if successful, such skin patches will be a very useful treatment strategy in combatting chronic diseases like HIV and Hepatitis C. Not having to remember to take pills or injections on a strict schedule will be extremely important in assuring patient compliance and treatment success”.