Study on Antiviral Activity and Pharmacological Safety of Double-Stranded Ribonucleic Acid for Intranasal Administration

Interferon inducers are of interest as the first line of defense against viral infections, including influenza. Double-stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA) for intranasal administration has been developed, the excipients and drug components were selected at the Institute of Medical Biotechnology, a branch of the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology «Vector». This work presents the results of the study on antiviral activity and pharmacological safety of a new form of dsRNA. The antiviral activity of the preparation was studied in BALB/c mice infected with influenza A/Aichi/2/68 (H3N2) or Bishkek/01/2009 (H1N1pdm09) viruses. A safety study was performed with a single administration of intranasal dsRNA into white outbred ICR mice. The study showed that the administration of therapeutic and prophylactic regimen of intranasal dsRNA at a dose of 2.5 mg/kg increases the survival and average life expectancy of mice infected with the mentioned strains of influenza virus. The protective effect of the preparation in mice infected with a lethal dose of Bishkek/01/2009 virus was comparable to the effect of Tamiflu. The absence of toxic effects of intranasal dsRNA at a pharmacological dose in laboratory mice, the functional state of their physiological systems, as well as main types of metabolism, established in the experiments, lead to a conclusion concerning pharmacological safety of the preparation and the prospects for further work to complete pharmaceutical development of a new antiviral drug.