Human cytomegalovirus
Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a member of the herpes virus family. It infects a large proportion of the population (for example, 50 to 80% of US adults are infected by CMV by 40 years of age) and as with all herpes viruses, has the ability to remain dormant in an infected person. Therefore, once infected, an individual can become a carrier for life. As the virus is widely spread within the community, it is frequently associated with serious infections, debilitating outcomes and death in the immuno-compromised, including the new born, transplant, cancer and HIV patients amongst others.
There is no vaccine and the available antiviral drugs have considerable safety and efficacy limitations. As a result, there is a significant unmet medical need.
Biota's solution
In late June 2008, Biota reached a commercial agreement for the use of assays developed by HarvardMedicalSchool to assist in the development of small molecule inhibitors of specific enzymes to CMV.