08 / 2014
A newly developed candidate drug against measles virus is effective in an animal model. During measles outbreaks, this compound may protect contacts of infected individuals from clinical signs and prevent virus dissemination. The candidate drug, which can be administered in tablet form, reduces the viral load in animals infected with a close relative of measles virus. In addition, it also protects the animals from lethal disease outcome. In its online edition of April 16, 2014, Science Translational Medicine reports on research results from scientists at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut and Georgia State University.
Vaccination remains the only safe and effective way to protect from measles. Despite world-wide efforts to eradicate the disease, measles outbreaks still occur time and again among the German population due to incomplete vaccine coverage. In 2013 alone, 1775 measles cases in Germany were reported to the Robert Koch-Institut. In this context, an inhibitor that reduces the risk of transmission would be very useful.
Professor R. Plemper of the Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, USA, and colleagues have developed an orally bioavailable small molecule inhibitor against measles, which could be administered in tablet form. The active substance, called ERDRP-0159, inhibits the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, which is indispensable for the viral replication.
Until recently, the development of antiviral drugs against measles has been hindered by the lack of a suitable animal model. Towards this, Dr Veronika von Messling, head of the Veterinary Medicine Division at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institute, and colleagues have established an animal model, using ferrets infected with canine distemper virus (CDV) a very close relative of measles virus. This project is part of the institute’s involvement in the German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF). Usually, an infection with this virus is lethal for ferrets. However, all animals survived if treatment with the inhibitor was started three days after infection and was continued for 14 days. In addition to being well tolerated, the treatment even allowed the development of a robust immune response against the virus, protecting the animals from re-infection.
Shown are cells infected with drug-resistant (green fluorescence) and wild type (red fluorescence) recombinant canine distemper virus. Infected cells were treated with ERDRP-0519, or received solvent only
Source: Georgia State University
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The Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, the Federal Institute for Vaccines and Biomedicines, in Langen near Frankfurt/Main is a senior federal authority reporting to the Federal Ministry of Health (Bundesministerium für Gesundheit, BMG). It is responsible for the research, assessment, and marketing authorisation of biomedicines for human use and immunological veterinary medicinal products. Its remit also includes the authorisation of clinical trials and pharmacovigilance, i.e. recording and evaluation of potential adverse effects.
Other duties of the institute include official batch control, scientific advice and inspections. In-house experimental research in the field of biomedicines and life science form an indispensable basis for the manifold tasks performed at the institute.
The Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, with its roughly 800 members of staff, also has advisory functions nationally (federal government, federal states (Länder)), and internationally (World Health Organisation, European Medicines Agency, European Commission, Council of Europe etc.).
Updated: 22.04.2014
