Possible leap ahead in filovirus therapeutics

Abstract

In a recent study published in Nature, Warren et al. describe the generation of a novel synthetic adenosine analogue, BCX4430, a synthetic drug-like small molecule that provides protection from Ebola and Marburg virus infection in animal models.

Figure 1

Survival in the rhesus macaque (diagonal lined) and cynomolgus macaque (solid) models of Ebola (A) and Marburg (B) virus infection following post-exposure intervention strategies. The diagnostic window when detection of viremia and/or onset of fever occurs is indicated in shading. Recombinant activated protein C (rAPC), recombinant nematode anticoagulant protein c2 (rNAPc2), recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV), Sudan ebolavirus (SEBOV) challenge, small interfering (si)RNA stable nucleic acid lipid particles (SNALPs), monoclonal antibody (mAb), Adenovirus-vectored (Ad) interferon (IFN)-α, phosphorodiamidate oligonucleotides (PMO), cocktail of 3 mAb (MB-003).