Amyxa
Pharmaceuticals to Develop Novel Anti-Influenza Drugs from
Marine Microorganisms and Medicinal Plants
January
18, 2006 -
Aphios Corporation today announced the formation of a limited
liability subsidiary Amyxa Pharmaceuticals, which will focus
on the discovery and development of novel anti-influenza
drugs from marine microorganisms and terrestrial plants
that are active and protective against different strains
of Influenza A including H5N1 viruses and Influenza B.
There
are significant worldwide concerns that the current strain
of the avian flu (H5N1) if mutated for human-to-human transfer,
could result in an influenza pandemic of the magnitude of
the 1918 outbreak that killed over 40 million people worldwide.
Influenza is a common and serious respiratory illness that
contributes to the reduction of quality-of-life and a significant
loss of manpower hours each year. Every year, 40 million
Americans develop the flu and 20,000 to 40,000 Americans
die from it, making it the deadliest infectious disease
in the United States. In the case of a pandemic caused by
a mutated H5N1 virus or other flu strain, the mortality
rate will increase by several orders of magnitude unless
prophylactic and therapeutic interventions are in place
prior to the pandemic.
Nature
is an excellent source of novel anti-influenza drugs since,
over the last three decades (1981-2002) covering all diseases,
countries and sources, 52% of the 1,031 new chemical entities
(NCEs) approved were based on natural products. In the anti-infective
area, 68.5% (111 anti-infective drugs) were based on natural
products. Of the 35 antiviral NCEs over 1981-2002, 71% (25),
including Tamiflu?, are naturally derived or based on a
natural product molecule.
Amyxa
Pharmaceuticals will screen a unique library of diverse
marine microorganisms, isolated from normal to extremeophilic
environments in United States territorial waters, and medicinal
plants to discover novel anti-influenza drugs. The Company
will utilize a patented SuperFluids? CXF fractionation technology
for the rapid discovery and development of anti-influenza
drugs. To date approximately 1,000 marine microorganism
fractions, approximately 2% of the marine microorganism
library, have been screened against both Influenza A and
Influenza B in cytoprotection and cytotoxicity assays. Several
marine microorganism fractions have been identified as active
against Influenza A in cytoprotection assays. We have also
discovered an anti-influenza supercritical fluid fraction
of a medicinal plant that contains potent anticancer compounds.
Aphios
Corporation (www.aphios.com) is a biopharmaceutical company
that is developing enhanced natural therapeutics for health
maintenance, disease prevention and the treatment of human
diseases with a focus on oncology, infectious diseases,
and quality-of-life medicines.
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