Hemispherx Biopharma's Alferon Effective Against MERS Virus
By Cyndi Root
Hemispherx Biopharma announced in a press release that one of its investigational agents, Alferon, was effective in inhibiting Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS virus). Alferon is a biological product that has potential to both prevent and treat the virus. Hemispherx says that the disease is spreading quickly and it intends to proceed to non-human primate animal testing of Alferon.
Juergen Richt, Regents Distinguished Professor at Kansas State University and scientific advisor to Hemispherx, said, “This is encouraging news. Non-human primate animal model testing of Alferon may give us more definitive data about the efficacy of this natural interferon against MERS.”
Alferon Experiments
Researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Disease (NIAID) conducted the Alferon experiments. Hemispherx did not participate in operating the study; NIAID forwarded the results to the company. Investigators treated monkey kidney cells with Alferon 18 hours before inducing infection (pre-treatment) or one hour after inducing infection (post-treatment). Virus levels were measured at Day 1 and Day 3 and showed significant dose-dependent inhibitory effects. The results suggest that Alferon works to prevent the virus and to treat it. In-vitro studies in the laboratory do not always predict a drug’s behavior in animals or humans.
Alferon
Alferon is currently approved in the U.S. for the treatment of refractory or recurring external genital warts caused by human papilloma virus (HPV) in patients 18 years of age or older. The agent is a naturally sourced multispecies product, containing eight types of alpha interferon. Interferons are proteins that are secreted in response to viral infections and other invasions. They bind to receptors on the cell surface, initiating a cascade of events that leads to virus inhibition.
MERS
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is a deadly pulmonary syndrome that has recently emerged and is spreading quickly. According to the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), over 400 cases and 100 deaths have been reported. In the month of April this year, more than 200 cases were reported. The disease was first found in the Middle East and there is no cure or treatment. Most cases are in Saudi Arabia, and the handful of cases found in Europe and the one in the U.S. involved people that had been in the Middle East.