Cure For the Common Cold and...

Staff

Yes, the cure for the common cold phase 2 of its clinical trials. Known by its code name, CMX001, this antiviral drug is the first to combat the 52 serotypes of the adenovirus which causes the common cold and tonsilitis, ear infections, conjuntivitis, gastroenteritis and bladder infections.

CMX001 is an oral pro-drug, or derivative, of cidofovir, a drug developed by Gilead Sciences, Inc. to treat a type of retinitis in AIDS patients. Chimerix licensed from Gilead the rights to develop CMX001. Cidofovir is quite toxic to the liver and kidneys, but CMX001 has been found to be far less toxic and much more powerful as an antiviral agent.

It is not being marketed as a cure for the cold though. CMX001 is a broad-spectrum antiviral agent with demonstrated activity against double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viruses. The Phase 2 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, doseescalation study is designed to assess the safety, tolerability and ability of CMX001 to prevent or control CMV infection in stem cell transplant recipients. CMV, a member of the herpesvirus family of dsDNA viruses, is present in more than two-thirds of the population and typically causes manageable disease in individuals with responsive immune systems. However, in immunosuppressed and immunocompromised transplant recipients, CMV is a major cause of morbidity and mortality.