mavirex: Anti-viral technology platform
mavirex: Anti-viral technology platform
MAVIREX is a technology platform for the development of therapies that target more than 200 different respiratory virus strains based on polymers derived from red seaweed. The first polymer of this platform is Carragelose®, a unique broadly active anti-viral compound for treating respiratory diseases that has been approved for marketing in the EU as part of an anti-viral nasal spray.
Mode of action : All viruses have one attribute in common- they all need a mechanism to enter the body of the host. Similar to the way a burdock hooks itself on to textiles, the polymer binds to the virus and in this way blocks the virus from attaching to cells.
MAVIREX targets these viruses before they can attach to the epithelia by directly binding to the viruses themselves. In this way the viruses are then hindered from attaching to cells in the respiratory tract. In the case of cells that are already infected, MAVIREX can block the spread of the infection to neighbouring cells by binding to the viruses as soon as they are released from infected cells.
The MAVIREX platform has been clinically proven in children and adults. Effectiveness was shown recently through a significant reduction of the viral load and a significant reduction of symptoms in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in adults at the Common Cold Center in Cardiff, Wales. In addition, a recently completed a trial involving more than 200 children in Austria demonstrated anti-viral efficacy as well as the safety and clinical benefits to patients. The results of these studies are currently in preparation for peer-reviewed publication.
Figure 4: Relative viral load at day 3/4 in % of day 1. Shown is the relative viral load on day 3/4 in percent of the viral load on day 1. The mean of the ct values at visit 1 was set 100% for both Iota-Carrageenan and placebo and the percent of the ct values on day 3/4 was calculated as described in materials and methods. The ct numbers of Iota-Carrageenan and placebo samples of day 1 and day 3/4 were compared by applying a Mann-Whitney U-test (p = 0.009). The black bar shows Iota-Carrageenan and the grey bar shows placebo.
Source: Efficacy and safety of an antiviral Iota-Carrageenan nasal spray: a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled pilot study in volunteers with early symptoms of the common cold (Ron Eccles, Christiane Meier, Martez Jawad, Regina Weinmuellner, Andreas Grassauer, Eva Prieschl-Grassauer), Respiratory Research 2010.
Marinomed’s first marketed product, an anti-viral nasal spray for the prevention and treatment of common cold based on the MAVIREX technology platform, achieved commercial proof-of-concept.
The product is a sterile nasal spray that is currently marketed in Austria, Israel, Turkey, UK and was further out-licensed for 54 countries to Boehringer Ingelheim to all of Europe (except UK and Ireland), Russia & CIS, South America and Australia in 2010 as well as for 19 countries to local partners worldwide.
Other anti-viral products targeted by MAVIREX are in the indications influenza, common cold and combination therapies in the respiratory field, especially for indications where respiratory viruses cause a worsening of the disease, such as asthma, allergic rhinitis and COPD.
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In-vitro studies show activity against HRV, RSV, PIV, Coronavirus, Adenovirus group B, and Flu, including novelH1N1
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In-vivo studies show activity against Flu viruses and RSV
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Clinically proven as a therapy for patients suffering from common cold
First marketed product based on MAVIREX: