Aim: Current therapies against avian influenza (H5N1) provide limited clinical benefit. FBF-001 is a highly purified equine polyclonal immunoglobulin fragment against H5N1.
Methods: Using a ferret model of severe acute H5N1 infection, we assessed FBF-001 when administered on the same day or 1 day after viral challenge, in comparison with oseltamivir therapy.
Results: Untreated animals died 2-3 days after challenge. FBF-001 prevented most severe illness and reduced nasal viral load, with best efficacy when administered on the day of viral challenge. Oseltamivir and FBF-001 had synergistic impact on survival.
Conclusion: FBF-001 prevented severe consequences of lethal H5N1 challenge in ferrets by controlling viral replication, an effect synergistic to oseltamivir. FBF-001 has recently been granted EMA orphan drug status.
Keywords: A/H5N1; F(ab')2; avian influenza; ferret; immunoglobulin; oseltamivir.