Acute respiratory viral infections include infections caused by for example: influenza virus, human metapneumovirus (hMPV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and rhinovirus.
For influenza, rapid emergence of resistance on treatment and the current global spread of drug resistant viruses highlight the urgent need for alternative treatment strategies. While novel drugs and vaccines are clearly needed, combinations of existing drugs merit attention. Initial experiments of combined treatment with neuraminidase inhibitors, adamantanes and ribavirin indicate substantial levels of synergy in vitro and in vivo.
We believe such combinations can be further explored and potential mechanisms of synergy can be dissected. We are driven by an increased understanding of the pathogeneses at the molecular level. We aim to explore new antiviral strategies based on emerging resistance profiles and on the leads provided by mRNA and protein profiling.