FluPro - a novel flu antiviral. (360G-Wellcome-090441_Z_09_Z)

"Influenza ranges from seasonal disease to catastrophic pandemics. Anti-flu measures include vaccines and antivirals. Vaccines have their problems as they act only against the current viruses and are ineffective against new pandemic strains. The antivirals Tamiflu and Relenza act against all flu viruses, but there is already widespread resistance to Tamiflu. New measures are urgently needed. Warwick's approach has been to isolate a natural 'protecting virus' called FluPro®. This is a harmless version of the flu virus itself and is delivered to the nose. Only those cells that influenza normally infects get treated. FluPro has been tested in laboratory models where a single intranasal dose completely prevents disease caused by several different flu viruses. Post-infection treatment is also effective. FluPro tricks infectious flu viruses into making non-functional virus particles (i.e. more FluPro) instead of the infectious virus. In this way it reduces the infection and the spread of infection, and increases the amount of protection."