Amid growing concerns over Zika Virus, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:BCRX) has come up with an experimental antiviral drug that can lead to a permanent solution for this deadly virus. As per the reports, it tested this experimental drug on Mice, and the results are positive. The new Zika drug improved the survival rate in all those mice that were infected with Zika virus.
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The scientists tried two doses of BCX443 against an oral antiviral named ribavarin and a placebo to know their effect on Zika infected immune-deficient mice and analyze the survival rate. At the end of the trial, BioCryst came to know that seven out of eight mice that received BCX443 survived without any hassle; however no other mice that were given ribavirin or placebo managed to survive after a period of 28 days.
The research was conducted at the well-known Utah State University as part of one of the health-related programs run by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a vital part of National Institutes of Health.
Countries like Brazil are suffering severely from the Zika virus. Thousands of new-born babies are getting infected by this mosquito-borne virus. Although drug companies have tried to come up with a solution for this virus, none of them received any success whatsoever. Many babies have already died, and others are suffering badly at this moment, which has raised concerns of the Brazilian government and other nearby countries.
It’s not the first time when a virus has hit a large part of the world. Not long ago, Ebola spread its wings across the globe and killed tens of thousands of people in a matter of few months. Eventually, the scientists invented a treatment for Ebola and stopped it right away. BioCryst doesn’t want to leave any stone unturned at this moment. Though Zika hasn’t killed as many people as Ebola, ignorance can lead to destructive results.
The entire research team is delighted with the initial results and hopes to achieve similar success in humans as well.
