ImmuneRegen BioSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of IR BioSciences Holdings, Inc. is moving rapidly forward with its strategy for combating avian influenza (H5N1), also known as bird flu. The company, which has seen its proprietary drug, Viprovex, treat other strains of influenza in animal models, is currently pursuing government and military collaborations to test Viprovex on the H5N1 strain itself.
Company officials are confident they will find similar results due to the immune boosting nature of the drug. This comes after an announcement from President Bush that his administration is finalising a plan on preparing for an outbreak of the bird flu. Further, the Senate last week passed legislation authorising $4 billion for additional purchases of anti-flu medication, informs a company release.
"The scientific community's biggest fear is that before a vaccine is available, the avian flu strain will mutate to where it can infect people more readily, or become transmissible from person to person. Based on the results of our Hong Kong influenza virus research, we believe Viprovex will enable the body's own immune system to fight off any flu strain naturally. This opens the possibility that Viprovex could be used either as a stand alone treatment or as an adjunct to a vaccine or other therapy," says ImmuneRegen CEO, Michael Wilhelm.
In past studies, ImmuneRegen researchers have found that Viprovex decreases apoptosis (cell death) in pulmonary alveolar macrophages after toxic exposure. The research indicates that Viprovex keeps pulmonary alveolar macrophages alive to fight respiratory viruses. With the Viprovex treatment, studies show a very large decrease in lung injury after Hong Kong Influenza infection in mice.
In addition, Viprovex increases interferon gamma production in the spleen after viral infection. Interferon was administered to SARS victims in Canada to fight the deadly disease, but this treatment was rejected in China and other parts of Asia because of the toxic effects of interferon administration.