SHELTON, CONNECTICUT -- Monday, July, 10, 2017 -- NanoViricides, Inc. (NYSE MKT: NNVC) (the "Company"), reports that its anti-shingles nanoviricides® drug candidates achieved dramatic reduction in infection of human skin by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), the shingles virus. These findings corroborate the previously reported findings of inhibition of VZV infection of human cells in culture. VZV is restricted to human tissue and only infects and replicates in human tissue.
Over the time course of VZV infection, the nanoviricides® drug candidates showed marked inhibition of VZV infection, replication and spread in human skin cultured ex vivo. The data suggest that select nanoviricides® drug candidates may have direct virucidal activity based on their antiviral effects within the first 24 hours after viral infection.
The antiviral effect of certain nanoviricide drug candidates was substantially greater than the effect of the standard positive control of cidofovir added into media. Even more remarkably, the effect of these nanoviricides drug candidates was equivalent to a topical formulation of 1% cidofovir applied directly onto the skin patch. A topical skin cream containing 2% cidofovir is clinically used in very severe cases of shingles. However, the cytotoxicity of cidofovir is known to cause ulceration of the skin to which it is applied, followed by natural wound healing. We are awaiting histopathology studies at present.
Since VZV causes skin lesions as a result of direct attack of the re-awakened virus released from nerve endings onto the human skin cells, this ex vivo human skin patch model involving VZV infection of cultured human skin ex vivo is considered to be a close representation of natural course of shingles.
The Company has previously reported that these same nanoviricides® compounds displayed potent inhibition of VZV infection of a human retinal epithelial pigment cell line in an in vitro cell culture virus infection model with no evidence of toxicity to the cells. These ex vivo and in vitro studies are a critical step in the selection of final clinical drug development candidates for safety and toxicology studies with the goal of an IND submission to the FDA for the topical treatment of shingles in humans.
"These human skin studies provide important validation of our VZV project," stated Dr. Eugene Seymour, MD, MPH, CEO of the Company, "and will expedite our VZV drug development as well as our entire Herpicide™ drug program."
The human skin studies were performed in the laboratory of Dr. Jennifer Moffat at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY. The Company previously reported the collaboration with Dr. Moffat, an internationally recognized expert on varicella-zoster virus. She has extensive experience in varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection, pathogenesis, and anti-viral agent discovery. The National Institutes of Health has a contract with Dr. Moffat's lab for evaluating anti-viral compounds against VZV, although the Company chose to set up a direct collaboration with Dr. Moffat rather than going through the NIH program.
"The nanoviricides® compounds we tested in the skin assays showed clear evidence of anti-VZV activity," stated Dr. Moffat, adding "we are pleased that our results can be used to select the most promising compounds."
The Company intends to produce the quantities of its drug candidates necessary for all drug development activities including safety and toxicology and initial human clinical trials at its current facility in Shelton, CT. The Company has continued to optimize the cost and time efficiency of its manufacturing processes for the ligands, polymers and final ligand-polymer nanoviricides® drug candidates.
About NanoViricidesFDA refers to US Food and Drug Administration. EMA refers to the European Union’s office of European Medical Agency.