Vaccine vs Antiviral

There is a clear difference between the actions and medical and social consequences of the two types of treatment for COVID-19.

Vaccines have traditionally injected a protein as either a living attenuated strain or a killed virus, that the immune system recognises as a foreign antigen and mounts both an antibody and immune cellular response which kills the virus.

The new mRNA vaccine technology uses a strand of mRNA that it is taken into the cell and recruits these cells to produce the antigen against which the body develops antibodies. These current vaccines for COVID-19 produce antibodies that attach to the protein spike of the virus and prevent entry into the cell to prevent disease but do not kill the virus. There is evidence that vaccinated individuals can still transmit the virus and allow its life cycle to continue.

Each antibody is highly specific to the configuration of the spike protein and mutants are now arising on those spike proteins that are at least partially resistant to the current vaccines. It is inevitable that with more viable virus in more people, that increasing and effective resistance will occur to these vaccines. The duration of protection for an individual from inoculation is unknown, but current evidence suggests that it is unlikely to be lifelong.

In clear contrast, a broad spectrum antiviral such as being developed by COVIRIX Medical, is analogous to an antibiotic for bacterial disease. It prevents viral replication and release from the infected cell and the virus dies out. It cannot be transmitted. Our antivirals work at a level not affected by mutation. It can be taken prophylactically to prevent infection, given to contacts and of course used for infected patients as inpatients or outpatients.

We believe that using a broad spectrum antiviral will complement vaccines and stop the chain of transmission. This will stop the pandemic and allow the return of all normal activities including International travel.

THE PANDEMIC: 5 STRATEGIES

1. Trace, isolate and quarantine at the expense of closing down the society and commerce.

2. Mass vaccination to reach “herd immunity” which is expected to be reached when greater than 70% of the population has been vaccinated. This is becoming a challenging task for two reasons. More infectious and more transmissible variants are developing faster than the capacity to produce variant-specific vaccines in sufficient quantities, and for them to be used within the necessary timeframe. Secondly, it appears that before everyone is vaccinated, the vaccine-induced immunity is fading away in the first batch that received the vaccine. These concerns are exemplified in communities with >80% full vaccination seeing significant infective surges with new variants.

3. Convalescent serum or monoclonal antibodies.

4. Anti-inflammatory drugs.

5. Antiviral drugs, many of which are only now being trialled, and some given emergency use status.

Recent announcements from governments and major pharmaceuticals have finally acknowledged the importance of considering antiviral therapy. We believe there will be many antivirals developed for the market but that COVIRIX offers a superior medical solution which will establish its clear value in this market.

COVID-19 currently presents a major existential threat to our society, despite the standard effective public health measures of isolation, quarantine and contact tracing. Despite the increasing rates of vaccination, the recent global surge in infections with the Omicron variant has been unprecedented. Whilst the vaccinated population appears to suffer a milder initial form of the disease on acquiring infection, longer term effects are unknown and it is clear that currently at an estimated 70.1% global vaccination rate (at least one dose) and 30.2% in low income countries (at least one dose), our sole reliance on vaccination as a route to eliminate the pandemic is evidently naïve. The emergence of cross-variants from recombination of Delta and Omicron or the interaction of Omicron with other viruses such as influenza and RSV viruses add little comfort and raise further concern about potentially more dangerous future mutations regardless of vaccine-induced or naturally acquired variant-specific immunity.

The missing link in the logical treatment strategy is an effective antiviral drug to kill the virus by blocking its reproduction and ending the continued mutations and our endless struggles with the pandemic.

Recent announcements concerning early data on oral direct acting antivirals have had important consequence for COVIRIX. On one hand, they provide a precedence and vanguard into the antiviral space for physicians, regulators, and patients. They have changed the paradigm and enhanced acceptance by the regulators in the way they evaluate repurposed drugs and combination drugs in pandemic situations. However, while providing attractive potential clinical solutions at first glance, each of them has associated issues related to: clinical side effects; comparison and efficacy limited by patient groups; difference in mode of action; other compound specific limitations in regard to cost, effective use, safety and efficacy.

Vaccine vs Antiviral

Why COVIRIX?

Address

Contacts

Links