Lethally RSV Infected Animals Orally Treated with NV-387 Showed Normal Lung Histology, Indicating Potential Cure

NV-387, A Broad-Spectrum Antiviral with Strong Activity Against RSV, Influenza A, Coronaviruses, Others

SHELTON, CT / ACCESSWIRE / May 20, 2024 / NanoViricides, Inc. (NYSE American:NNVC) (the "Company"), a global leader in broad-spectrum antiviral nanomedicines, says that the strong antiviral activity of NV-387 against RSV/A2 is clearly demonstrated by lungs remaining normal and showing no infection-related damage, when treated orally with NV-387, in a lethal lung RSV infection animal model. The animals in only the NV-387 treated group survived completely, as previously reported. The complete survival and clear lungs indicate that NV-387 treatment completely protected the animals and could be potentially a cure for RSV infection.

In this study, extended dosing of NV-387 given orally was compared with a high dose of ribavirin given orally. Two doses were given on first day of dosing followed by one daily dose for next 9 days (total 11 doses).

The lethally RSV-infected animals in the NV-387-treated group showed no lung damage in lung histo-pathology study at all time points during the study, including at the end of the study. This demonstrates that the the NV-387 oral treatment completely protected the animals from the lethal level of RSV infection. Animals in this group survived completely, beyond the 21-day study period, as previously reported.

In contrast, lethally infected animals in the Ribavirin oral treatment group showed progressive lung pathology, demonstrating progressive inflammation in the lung tissue which resulted in moderate levels of inflammation as well as infected cells in the inflammatory infiltrate on day 10, increasing to severely infected lungs with alveolitis and severe pneumonia by day 13. All animals in the ribavirin-treated RSV infected group died by 14 days.

These lung histo-pathology results support our belief that NV-387 oral treatment led to complete cure of the lethal RSV infection.

There is currently no approved treatment for RSV other than the highly toxic, last-resort drug, ribavirin. A safe and effective treatment remains an unmet medical need.

"These results clearly demonstrate that NV-387 oral treatment would be of great clinical value for protecting infants and children from RSV," said Anil R. Diwan, PhD, adding, "We are very pleased with these results and plan on advancing NV-387 for the treatment of RSV infection into clinical trials as soon as possible."