Amarillo Biosciences says oral interferon protects mice against extreme flu symptoms

By Elaine Rigoli

Tampa, Fla., June 29 - Amarillo Biosciences, Inc. said new data shows "exceptional" results in a company-sponsored influenza study in mice, in which an oral dose of interferon alpha given once daily protected mice against the weight loss and changes in core body temperature normally associated with influenza infections.

Mice given a placebo or the wrong dose of oral interferon lost weight and suffered declining core temperature and had to be euthanized due to their deteriorating condition as required by Australian regulations.

"With new animal data to supplement the historical human data, we intend to insert oral interferon into the debate as to how best to respond to an influenza pandemic," chief executive officer Joseph Cummins said in a news release.

The company also said a protocol has been filed with the Food and Drug Administration and clinical sites are being enrolled to cooperate in a study of 80 HIV+ patients suffering from oral warts. This placebo-controlled phase 2 study is a follow-up to two successful studies that have already been completed.

In the most recent study, 57% of HIV patients given the optimum dose of oral interferon experienced a complete or almost complete clearance of their oral warts.

No products are approved by the FDA for this condition, so treatment of oral warts represents a unique market for Amarillo Biosciences, the company said.

Amarillo Biosciences is a biotechnology firm based in Amarillo, Texas.

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