New Compounds Show Promise as Smallpox Drugs

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Several compounds in ViroPharma, Inc.’s small-molecule library proved to be up to 200 times more potent in treating authentic smallpox (variola) virus than were drugs derived from cidofovir, an anti-viral drug, according to laboratory studies completed by the company this week.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Several compounds in ViroPharma, Inc.’s small-molecule library proved to be up to 200 times more potent in treating authentic smallpox (variola) virus than were drugs derived from cidofovir, an anti-viral drug, according to laboratory studies completed by the company this week.ViroPharma and the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) collaborated on testing the compounds in laboratory tissues infected with the smallpox virus. The studies were conducted at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, the only site in the U.S. authorized to produce authentic smallpox cultures.The compounds were also effective when administered orally to animals, according to ViroPharma.”After this series proved to be active against monkeypox a month ago, most told us it would work as well against smallpox but you’re never sure until you complete the studies,” ViroPharma Vice President of Research and Development Mark McKinlay told Reuters Health. “Now we know it is very potent and very selective against the authentic virus.”McKinlay said an oral drug candidate to treat smallpox might be in human trials by the middle of next year. Animal and toxicology studies should be completed by December.ViroPharma said it would present virological and pharmacological details of the compounds at a future scientific conference.The company and USAMRIID are equal research partners in the project, said McKinlay. No grants or funds have been dedicated to the project so far.Both parties, however, expect to work with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop the drug rapidly to respond to a potential biological attack involving smallpox virus. Currently, there are no FDA-approved antiviral drugs to use in such an event.(Source: Reuters, Thu July 31, 2003 05:26 PM ET, By Bill Langbein)