NanoViricides Inc. (NNVC)

[NNVClover]

Sure, you're welcome. I have a lot of experienced with viruses - the target of Nanoviricide's platform.

The problem with studying viruses preclinically, is there is almost no human surrogate. Humans have complex immune systems. The only good surrogates are chimps, and even those are not perfect. One chimp can cost hundreds of thousands, unfortunately--these research tools are only available to the largest pharmaceutical companies. Things like viral kinetics, antibody response, adaptive immunity - they're not well replicated in mice.

Witness the confusion in the hepatitis world (NNVC is notably absent from this disease). There is a preclinical assay, "Replicon", which drug companies use to determine efficacy without running expensive chimp studies. Replicon isn't that useful because drugs are metabolized in humans differently from in vivo experiments. This is where ADME comes to play.

Anyway, the point is preclinical virus development is a waste of time until you see human results. NNVC still hasn't filed an IND so, so much for that. It is possible that something likes rabies or dengue has an applicable model since it is a fast killing virus. Having said that, I just realized these treatments are likely going to be intravenous only, so some part of ADME argument is moot--but then so is some of the commercial oppportunity (most antivirals are oral).