Singapore, August 13, 2008: An internationally renowned avian influenza expert hailed "encouraging and exciting" results from experiments conducted by his research team. This study demonstrated impressive efficacy of a novel statin/caffeine combination, StatC in the treatment and prevention of H5N1, H1N1 and H3N2 in a mouse model.

 

Dr. Jiahai Lu, from the School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, has published extensively in the field of avian influenza, and has been researching the breakthrough compound StatC for the past two years on behalf of Canopus Biopharma, a US corporation who discovered and patented the potential of this antiviral candidate.

 

"The global distribution of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has caused the World Health Organization to show its profound concern regarding the possibility of the virus spreading from human to human in the future. Furthermore, the development of resistance to two approved anti-influenza drugs, oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza), as well as the lack of adequate vaccines has increased the need of developing new antiviral drugs," said Dr. Lu.

 

Dr. Lu and his colleagues have conducted extensive animal studies with StatC against three influenza strains, H5N1 (avian influenza, bird flu), H1N1 (Spanish influenza) and H3N2 (Hong Kong influenza). StatC is a combination of two FDA approved compounds which have been re-formulated by Canopus BioPharma for the prevention and treatment of Influenza. Oseltamivir and ribavirin were used as positive controls in this study. In the H5N1 model, StatC prevented and relieved the symptoms of H5N1 infection, inhibited lung damage and H5N1 virus replication in the lungs of mice, and was as effective as oseltamivir in both prevention and therapy models. There were no animals with positive viral detection in the groups nasally administered with StatC. Likewise, StatC demonstrated similar results against the H3N2 and H1N1 viruses.

 

"We are encouraged with these findings. It is possible that higher doses of statin than those used in this study may result in even greater efficacy. StatC also appeared to be more effective when administered preventatively." With current positive results, Canopus BioPharma is looking to form a co-development agreement or licensing arrangements with pharmaceutical companies and Government health authorities interested in providing more economical and universal treatment for their populations in the event of a pandemic," said Dr. Lu.

 

At the forefront of influenza research in Guangzhou, China, Dr. Lu is perfectly placed to further investigate the synergistic properties of the statin/caffeine combination.

 

"We are also motivated at the potential of this compound in comparison with other currently available anti-influenza medications. It's clear that there is significant global need for a superior, low cost and plentiful alternative in the fight against influenza." added Dr. Lu. While StatC has proven to be highly efficacious against the most virulent strains of influenza, it must be noted that StatC is also extremely effective against non-fatal, human forms of the virus that occur annually.

 

Approved by the Food and Drug Administration, oseltamivir (Tamiflu) is the leading prescription medicine approved for the prevention and treatment of influenza in adults and children. Datamonitor, the world's leading provider of online data, analytic and forecasting platforms for key vertical sectors, forecasts that global market demand for influenza treatments will expand to 370 million doses and a market value of approximately $3.7 billion by 2010.