NanoViricides Highlights Need for NV-387 Against Influenza Viruses

NanoViricides declares that the current severe influenza wave demonstrates the clear need for broad-spectrum antivirals that can work against all influenza viruses, as well as the seasonal respiratory viruses including RSV and Coronaviruses. The company said, "This year has been a 'moderately severe' flu season according to CDC. The new subclade K variant of Influenza A/H3N2 is causing more than 80% of the cases. CDC estimates that there have been at least 15,000,000 illnesses, 180,000 hospitalizations, and 7,400 deaths from flu as of January 6 this season. The seasonal influenza vaccine, which always lags the actual field viruses, was mismatched, and contains an older subclade J of H3N2, making it substantially less effective. Every season, new influenza vaccines have to be created because the influenza virus changes rapidly. Despite that, Influenza vaccine mismatch occurs frequently. Influenza seasonal vaccine efficacy in unmatched years has been reported to be as low as 11-17%. Two Influenza antivirals exist, namely Tamiflu, and Xofluza. Any of these antivirals needs to be taken within 48 hours for it to be moderately effective. Importantly, Influenza viruses can rapidly become resistant to both of these antivirals. In contrast, the broad-spectrum nanoviricide drug candidate NV-387 is highly unlikely to be defeated by viruses, because it copies the essential cell-side feature that these viruses require, and do not mutate away from, called heparan sulfate. Clearly, the current severe influenza epidemic demonstrates how valuable NV-387 will be as an antiviral. Additionally, NV-387 is active against Coronaviruses, RSV, and many other viruses that use heparan sulfate or related features for attacking human cells and causing an infection."