This article spotlights a United States-based company, NanoViricides, Inc., which is betting on the promise of nanotechnology in its quest to develop a biodegradable setup based on polymers that it hopes will be the Venus Flytrap of antiviral drugs. The treatment breaks up the virus and prevents it from successfully binding to healthy cells, stopping the disease in its tracks. Founder Anil R. Diwan says “[W]hen the virus binds, it opens up and grabs it.” It also takes the virus with it when the treatment exits the body. The company is working to develop the treatment for several diseases, including HIV, influenza and Dengue viruses. The company raised US$10 million last year. It is also close to starting the process of getting U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for clinical testing in humans, the first step in bringing any drug to market. Over the years, money has been a big problem for the company, but the infusion of funding over the past year has allowed NanoViricides to start thinking about a production facility for the therapies, a key long-term part of getting FDA approval. The article can be viewed online at the link below.
http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/nanoviricides_tries_to_wrap_up_diseases/id_33450