Avian Flu in Russia may be sensitive to Amantadine

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>Avian Flu in Russia may be sensitive to Amantadine

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Avian Flu in Russia may be sensitive to Amantadine

06 Sep 2005

 

As we scramble to buy Tamiflu, there are signs that the highly

infectious form of bird flu moving across Russia towards Europe may

be sensitive to the older, cheaper drug amantadine (symmetrel),

according to Chemistry & Industry magazine.

 

If the virus does prove to be sensitive to amantadine, this could

overcome potential shortages of Tamiflu and Relenza on which many

countries have pinned their hopes of combating a possible pandemic.

 

Henry Niman founder of US biotechnology company Recombinomics says

preliminary sequence data suggest that the Russian virus does not

exhibit any of the changes in the M2 ion channel that would make it

resistant to amantadine. Early work on the Russian virus also

suggests that it is related to the Qinghai virus. Yi Guan of the

University of Hong Kong who sequenced the Qinghai strain earlier this

year says Qinghai sequence data suggest it is amantadine sensitive.

'It is possible that recent Russian isolates may be sensitive to

amantadine as well. Based on my personal observation, it is possible

that they are closely related in somehow. Considering the cost of

antiviral (Tamiflu), it is another option for developing countries to

consider stockpiling amantadine,' he says. But the drug is off-patent

so no one is testing it.

 

Niman also says countries should be stockpiling amantadine or

rimantadine as 'they are cheap and readily available.' Peter Dunnill,

Department of Biochemical Engineering at University College London

says stockpiling Tamiflu may not be the right route in developing

countries.

 

The US and Sweden has bought amantadine, but there are no plans for

the UK Department of Health to buy any. The UK Tamiflu order, which

will cover only a fraction of the population, will not be filled

until 2007.

 

There may be concerns about using amantadine, however, as over-use

of the drug in animals has led to the emergence of wide-spread

resistance of H5N1 in Thailand and Vietnam. But resistance can also

develop to Tamiflu.

 

SOURCE: Chemistry & Industry

http://www.chemind.org

 

 

Reference URL

http://www.chemind.com

 

Peer reviewed publication and references

Chemistry & Industry, issue 17, cover date September 5th 2005

 

SOURCE: http://www.alphagalileo.org

 

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