Caspase inhibitors, especially caspase 3 inhibitors, for the treatment of influenza
AssigneeActivaero GmbH
InventorsStefan Ludwig, Oliver Planz, Hans-Harald Sedlacek, Stephan Pleschka
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to the use of at least one caspase inhibitor, in particular a caspase-3 inhibitor, for preparing a pharmaceutical composition for the prophylaxis or therapy of a viral infection, in particular an infection with an RNA negative-strand virus, preferably an influenza infection, and to a test system for identifying suitable active substances.
Claims21
A method for the prophylaxis or therapy of at least one viral disease, comprising administering a physiologically effective dose of a pharmaceutical composition comprising at least one active substance that inhibits a cellular caspase such that a virus multiplication is inhibited.
A test system for finding active substances, which act on at least one cellular caspase, comprising caspase-3, such that a virus multiplication is inhibited, comprising:
- a) at least one cell infectable with at least one virus and comprising at least one cellular caspase and at least one virus infecting the cells, or
- b) at least one cell infectable with at least one virus and comprising at least one cellular caspase.
A method for the prophylaxis or therapy of a viral infection, comprising an infection with an RNA negative-strand virus, comprising an influenza infection, comprising administering a physiologically effective dose of a pharmaceutical composition, comprising at least one caspase inhibitor, comprising a caspase-3 inhibitor.
A combination preparation for the treatment of a viral infection, comprising at least one caspase inhibitor and another antiviral active substance, which is not a caspase inhibitor, comprising an inhibitor of one or several cellular kinases, each in a physiologically well tolerated dose, and galenic auxiliary and carrier substances, wherein the caspase inhibitor and the further antiviral active substance exist in a mixture or in separate galenic preparations, intended for simultaneous or successive administration.
A method for screening for prospective antiviral active substances, comprising the following steps:
- a) a cell containing a caspase, comprising caspase-3, is infected with a virus, comprising an RNA negative-strand virus, comprising an influenza virus,
- b) the cell is contacted with one or several prospective active substances,
- c) viral replication in the cell is determined,
- d) an active substance or a mixture of active substances is selected, if the viral replication measured in step c) is smaller than when executing steps a) to c) without a prospective active substance or with an inactive active substance,
- e) a selected active substance is contacted with a cell infected with a virus, which does not express or contain a caspase, in particular caspase-3, and the viral replication is measured, and the active substance is further selected, if the measurement of the viral replication does not result in a significant modification relative to a measurement when contacting said infected cell with an inactive active substance or without any active substance,
- wherein the steps a) and b) may occur in any order or simultaneously, and wherein the steps a) to d) on the one hand and the step e) on the other hand may occur in any order or simultaneously.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.