Public Health England and NanoViricides sign testing agreement
Agreement concerns testing of various nanoviricides against specific viruses of current concern
NanoViricides has signed a 'confidential disclosure agreement' with Public Health England (PHE), that will allow the scientists at Public Health England to develop a specific proposal for the testing of different nanoviricides, such as FluCide, against viruses of 'mutual interest' to both organisations.
More specifically, the first two viruses of mutual interest are H7N9, the influenza virus now circulating in China, as well as the latest version of the coronavirus, now circulating in the Middle East and referred to as the MERS virus. This virus is similar to the SARS virus that infected 8,000 people and killed approximately 800 people 10 years ago. Both H7N9 and the MERS CoV (coronavirus) have extremely high case fatality rates.
Testing of nanoviricides antiviral drug candidates will be performed in a BSL3/4 facility at PHE. BSL3/4 facilities are designed to contain and enable the safe handling of organisms that can pose a significant threat to health.
NanoViricides is a development stage company that is creating special purpose nanomaterials for viral therapy. Its novel nanoviricide class of drug candidates are designed to specifically attack enveloped virus particles and to dismantle them. The company is developing drugs against a number of viral diseases including H1N1 swine flu, H5N1 bird flu, seasonal Influenza, HIV, oral and genital Herpes, viral diseases of the eye including EKC and herpes keratitis, Hepatitis C, Rabies, Dengue fever, and Ebola virus, among others.
PHE works with national and local government, industry and the UK National Health Service (NHS) to protect and improve the nation's health and support healthier choices and will be addressing inequalities by focusing on removing barriers to good health.