NanoViricides, Inc. Partners with UC Berkeley to Develop Anti-Dengue Treatment

Strategic Insights -

Dengue fever is a significant global health problem, with over 50 million people infected annually, and the disease is officially recognized as a "neglected tropical disease" by the World Health Organization (WHO). The virus, spread by mosquitoes, has no approved vaccine or treatment, and its impact is exacerbated by "Antibody-Dependent Enhancement" (ADE), which can lead to increased severity of the disease. NanoViricides, Inc., a development-stage company specializing in viral therapy, has signed a research and development agreement with Dr. Eva Harris's laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, to evaluate the effectiveness of nanoviricides against dengue viruses.

Key Takeaways:

  • NanoViricides, Inc. has partnered with Dr. Eva Harris's laboratory at UC Berkeley to develop a broad-spectrum anti-dengue antiviral treatment.
  • The treatment aims to target all four dengue virus serotypes and their variant strains, with a focus on preventing Antibody-Dependent Enhancement (ADE).
  • Dr. Eva Harris's laboratory has developed a unique animal model for dengue virus infection and disease that effectively emulates the pathology seen in humans, allowing for the study of ADE and its effects.
  • Dengue is a significant global health problem, with over 50-100 million people infected annually, and it is officially recognized as a "neglected tropical disease" by the WHO.
  • The partnership between NanoViricides and Dr. Harris's laboratory aims to accelerate the development of an anti-dengue treatment, which could have a market size comparable to Hepatitis C virus treatment, potentially in the billions of dollars.
  • The treatment is expected to be a nanoviricide drug under development, capable of attacking dengue viruses through a mechanism that mimics the natural attachment function by which different dengue virus serotypes bind to host cells.
  • Dr. Harris's laboratory has a multidisciplinary approach to studying dengue, including molecular virology, pathogenesis, and epidemiology, with a focus on developing a mouse model to study viral tropism and pathogenesis, and evaluating candidate anti-viral therapeutics.
  • NanoViricides, Inc. is a development-stage company that has developed a library of small chemical ligands that bind to dengue virus envelope proteins, leading to the creation of candidate nanoviricides against dengue virus.

Statistics:

  • Over 50-100 million people are infected by dengue virus annually.
  • Dengue fever is a significant global health problem, officially recognized as a "neglected tropical disease" by the WHO.
  • The market size for an effective anti-dengue treatment could be comparable to Hepatitis C virus treatment, potentially in the billions of dollars.
  • The partnership between NanoViricides and Dr. Harris's laboratory aims to accelerate the development of an anti-dengue treatment.
  • Dengue is endemic in large parts of the world, threatening over 3 billion people worldwide or 40% of the global population.
  • Without proper treatment, dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) fatality rates can exceed 20%.
  • Dr. Harris's laboratory has developed a mouse model to study viral tropism and pathogenesis, and evaluate candidate anti-viral therapeutics.

Sources:

  • "NanoViricides, Inc. Reports Progress on Development of Anti-Dengue Treatment" (Nanotechnology Business Journal, 2010)
  • World Health Organization (WHO) Dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever Fact Sheet No. 117 (March 2009)
  • Dr. Eva Harris's laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley)