Studies on new drug to treat diseases caused by HSV Type-1, Type- 2 and VZV viruses will be completed at the Bio Informatics Infrastructure Facility Centre of DBT, Presidency College, Chennai, by next year. The post discovery clinical studies will be conducted by a Chennai based drug manufacturing firm soon after the molecules are identified, said Dr S Rajarajan, senior scientist and coordinator at the Centre.

Referring to the study, he said generally viruses cause many important infectious diseases like influenza, rabies, measles, various forms of diarrhoea, hepatitis, yellow fever, polio, small pox and AIDS. “But our search is on diseases caused by three particular types of viruses such as Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1, Type 2 and VZV (Varicella Zoster Virus),” he said.

Regarding diseases caused by these viruses, Dr Rajarajan said HSV Type 1 causes herpes labialis (mouth ulcer). It also causes herpes keratitis (infection around the eye). Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 causes herpes genitilis (infection on genital organs among men and women).Thirdly, Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) which was identified by researchers that it was behind the disease chicken pox in children and herpes zoster in adults.

He said all these three viruses are closely related and to contain the diseases caused by these viruses Acyclovir is the commonly prescribed drug. But country needs superior drugs though cost becomes burdensome. Besides, there are reports of resistance to Acyclovir by viruses.

While speaking to Pharmabiz, the scientist said the Centre’s discovery study is a project of the Department of Science & Technology (DST), New Delhi assisted by two other academic institutes and Arvind Remedies of Chennai.

To a question he said DST sponsored Antiviral Development Project is the first governmental project the Centre is doing. In 2012, one more research project on certain emerging viral disease will take its course in the Centre. Both the projects are studies on viruses and sponsored by the Ministry of Science & Technology.

He said the Centre has entered into a contract with Arvind Remedies to utilize its R&D facility for the innovation of new drugs under the DST program. The research started in 2010 and will end in 2012, further one year will be required to do all the clinical studies.

The Department of Natural Products of the Indian Institute of Integrated Medicine, Jammu and the Pharmacology Department of the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) will associate with the Bioinformatics Centre of the Presidency College, in the discovery and development of new antiviral drugs. The IIIM, Jammu is doing a nation wide research on the new innovations.