ImmuneRegen Confirms Homspera's Anti-Influenza Effect on H1N1 After Oral Administration

Preliminary evidence has shown that ImmuneRegen BioSciences' (Scottsdale, AZ) selective Neurokinin 1-receptor agonist Homspera is active on oral administration and provides therapeutic effects against the current pandemic H1N1 virus infection.

Preliminary analysis of ongoing bioavailability studies in rats had revealed the oral administration of Homspera resulted in measurable amounts of the drug in lung tissue. Systemic absorption and accumulation in lungs was found after both oral and intra-duodenal administration in studies performed by a contract research organization with analytical work performed at MDxBioanalytical, Inc. (Tucson, AZ).

Based on these findings, the company commissioned H1N1 virus studies to be performed. Using the accepted ferret model of H1N1 influenza virus infection, animals were treated orally (initially) with Homspera starting 24 hours after infection. Although data collection and analysis is ongoing, preliminary evaluation of temperatures of infected ferrets reveals that orally administered Homspera lessened the impact of influenza infection, resulting in shortened duration and more rapid resolution of the hyperthermia associated with infection.

Immune markers of infection remain to be assessed, but this pilot study reveals that the ability of Homspera to attenuate symptoms of influenza virus infection, which have previously been reported in cotton rats infected with H3N2 influenza and in ferrets infected with H5N1 influenza, also extends to the current pandemic H1N1 strain.

These preliminary results support the hypothesized mechanism of Homspera’s immune system activation and expand the therapeutic range over which activity of the compound has been shown in accepted animal models.