Respiratory Syncytial Virus Challenge Study

Despite the potential severity of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, we currently have no vaccine for disease prevention and no specific therapy for established infection. Now, researchers — with industry support — have conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the antiviral activity of ALS-008176, an orally available prodrug of RSV replication inhibitor ALS-008112.

Housed in a special quarantine unit, participants (62 healthy adults with low serum neutralizing antibody titer for the challenge virus) were inoculated intranasally with RSV. Twelve hours after confirmation of RSV infection or 6 days after inoculation (and subsequently every 12 hours for 5 days), they received oral ALS-008176 in one of …