Methods of reducing risk of infection from pathogens

A treatment method for delaying and/or reducing the risk of infection from one or more airborne pathogens comprising:

• administering an effective amount of a sodium channel blocker or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof to an individual in need thereof, wherein said one or more airborne pathogens are retained in lung mucous secretions and are thus removed by mucociliary clearance, wherein the sodium channel blocker is a compound according to Formula III:
• where X is hydrogen, halogen, trifluoromethyl, lower alkyl, unsubstituted or substituted phenyl, lower alkyl-thio, phenyl-lower alkyl-thio, lower alkyl-sulfonyl, or phenyl-lower alkyl-sulfonyl;
• Y is hydrogen, hydroxyl, mercapto, lower alkoxy, lower alkyl-thio, halogen, lower alkyl, unsubstituted or substituted mononuclear aryl, or —N(R2)2;
• R1 is hydrogen or lower alkyl;
• each R2 is, independently, —R7, —(CH2)m—OR8, —(CH2)m—NR7R10, —(CH2)n(CHOR8)(CHOR8)n—CH2OR8, —(CH2CH2O)m—R8, —(CH2CH2O)m—CH2CH2NR7R10, —(CH2)n—C(═O)NR7R10, —(CH2)n—Zg—R7, —(CH2)m—NR10—CH2(CHOR8)(CHOR8)n—CH2OR8, —(CH2)n—CO2R7, or
• R3″ and R4″ are each, independently, hydrogen, a group represented by formula (A″), lower alkyl, hydroxy lower alkyl, phenyl, phenyl-lower alkyl, (halophenyl)-lower alkyl, lower-(alkylphenylalkyl), lower (alkoxyphenyl)-lower alkyl, naphthyl-lower alkyl, or pyridyl-lower alkyl, with the proviso that at least one of R3″ and R4″ is a group represented by formula (A″):
• where each RL is, independently, —R7, —(CH2)n—OR8, —O—(CH2)m—OR8, —(CH2)n—NR7R10, —O—(CH2)m—NR7R10, —(CH2)n(CHOR8)(CHOR8)n—CH2OR8, —O—(CH2)m(CHOR8)(CHOR8)n—CH2OR8, —(CH2CH2O)m—R8, —O—(CH2CH2O)m—R8, —(CH2CH2O)m—CH2CH2NR7R10, —O—(CH2CH2O)m—CH2CH2NR7R10 , —(CH2)n—C(═O)NR7R10, —O—(CH2)m—C(═O)NR7R10, —(CH2)n—(Z)g—R7, —O—(CH2)m—(Z)g—R7, —(CH2)n—NR10—CH2(CHOR8)(CHOR8)n—CH2OR8, —O—(CH2)m—NR10—CH2(CHOR8)(CHOR8)n—CH2OR8, —(CH2)n—CO2R7, —O—(CH2)m—CO2R7, —OSO3H, —O—glucuronide, —O—glucose,
• each o is, independently, an integer from 0 to 10;
• each p is an integer from 0 to 10;
• with the proviso that the sum of o and p in each contiguous chain is from 1 to 10;
• each x is, independently, O, NR10, C(═O), CHOH, C(═N—R10), CHNR7R10, or represents a single bond;
• each R5′ is, independently, —(CH2)m—OR8, —O—(CH2)m—OR8, —(CH2)n—NR7R10, —O—(CH2)m—NR7R10, —(CH2)n(CHOR8)(CHOR8)n—CH2OR8, —O—(CH2)m(CHOR8)(CHOR8)n—CH2OR8, —(CH2CH2O)m—R8, —O—(CH2CH2O)m—R8, —(CH2CH2O)m—CH2CH2NR7R10, —O—(CH2CH2O)m—CH2CH2NR7R10, —(CH2)n—C(═O)NR7R10, —O—(CH2)m—C(═O)NR7R10, —(CH2)n—(Z)g—R7, —O—(CH2)m—(Z)g—R7, —(CH2)n—NR10—CH2(CHOR8)(CHOR8)n—CH2OR8, —O—(CH2)m—NR10—CH2(CHOR8)(CHOR8)n—CH2OR8, —(CH2)n—CO2R7, —O—(CH2)mCO2R7, —OSO3H, —O—glucuronide, —O—glucose,
• each R6″ is, independently, —R7, —OR11, —N(R7)2, —(CH2mOR8, —O—(CH2)m—OR8, —(CH2)n—NR7R10, —O—(CH2)m—NR7R10, —(CH2)n(CHOR8)(CHOR8)n—CH2OR8, —O—(CH2)m(CHOR8)(CHOR8)n—CH2OR8, —(CH2CH2O)m—R8, —O—(CH2CH2O)m—R8, —(CH2CH2O)m—CH2CH2NR7R10, —O—(CH2CH2O)m—CH2CH2NR7R10, —(CH2)n—C(═O)NR7R10, —O—(CH2)m—C(═O)NR7R10, —(CH2)n—(Z)g—R7, —O—(CH2)m—(Z)g—R7, —(CH2)m—NR10—CH2(CHOR8)(CHOR8)n,—CH2OR8, —O—(CH2)m—NR10—CH2(CHOR8)(CHOR8)n—CH2OR8, —(CH2)m—CO2R7, —O—(CH2)m—CO2R7, —OSO3H, —O—glucuronide, —O—glucose,
• where when two R6″ are —OR11 and are located adjacent to each other on a phenyl ring, the alkyl moieties of the two R6″ may be bonded together to form a methylenedioxy group;
• each R7 is, independently, hydrogen or lower alkyl;
• each R8 is, independently, hydrogen, lower alkyl, —C(═O)—R11, glucuronide, 2-tetrahydropyranyl, or
• each R9 is, independently, —CO2R7, —CON(R7)2, —SO2CH3, or —C(═O)R7;
• each R10 is, independently, —H, —SO2CH3, —CO2R7, —C(═O)NR7R9, —C(═O)R7, or —CH2—(CHOH)n—CH2OH;
• each Z is, independently, CHOH, C(═O), CHNR7R10, C═NR10, or NR10;
• each R11 is, independently, lower alkyl;
• each g is, independently, an integer from 1 to 6;
• each m is, independently, an integer from 1 to 7;
• each n is, independently, an integer from 0 to 7;
• each Q″ is, independently, C—R5′, C—R6″, or a nitrogen atom, wherein at most three Q″ in a ring are nitrogen atoms and wherein at least one Q″ in a ring is C-R5″;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.