Peramivir

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Peramivir is a pharmaceutical drug used to viral infections. Like zanamivir and oseltamivir, peramivir is a neuraminidase inhibitor, acting as a transition-state analogue inhibitor of influenza neuraminidase and thereby preventing new viruses from emerging from infected cells. HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced on January 4, 2007 that the Department has awarded a $102.6 million, four-year contract to BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for advanced development of their influenza antiviral drug, peramivir.[1]

Experimental data indicate that peramivir may have useful activity against many viruses of interest, including H5N1 (avian bird flu) , hepatitis B, polio, measles and smallpox. Peramivir is active in a hamster model of yellow fever, a finding which is not surprising, given the familial relationship of yellow fever and hepatitis C viruses as flaviviridae. Peramivir is active against other important flaviviridae such as West Nile virus and dengue fever.

"Dr. Frederick Hayden of the University of Virginia recently presented unpublished data suggesting that peramivir may have the potential for use as single dose parenteral treatment or prophylaxis for influenza (Infectious Diseases Society of America Annual Meeting, San Francisco, October 6-9, 2005). In a talk on the use of antiviral drugs in the setting of an influenza pandemic, Dr. Hayden presented unpublished animal data that suggests that, due to its very long half life, peramivir, an investigational neuraminaidase inhibitor drug, maintains its anti-influenza activity for as long as 10 days following a single intravenous dose. [...] BioCryst's CEO, Charles Bugg, was quoted in the New York Times as saying that peramivir is much easier and cheaper to produce than Tamiflu and that 8 million doses could be produced quickly. In 6-9 months production could be scaled up to 10 million doses per month."[2]

Image:peramivir.png

(1S,2S,3S,4R)-3-[(1S)-1-acetamido-2-ethyl-butyl]-4-(diaminomethylideneamino)-2-hydroxy-cyclopentane-1-carboxylic acid

CAS number 229614-55-5; 330600-85-6

[edit] Sources

  1. ^ HHS
  2. ^ Biocryst