Document Report Card

ID: ALA1155777

Journal: Antimicrob Agents Chemother

Title: Increased survival after gemfibrozil treatment of severe mouse influenza.

Authors: Budd A, Alleva L, Alsharifi M, Koskinen A, Smythe V, Müllbacher A, Wood J, Clark I.

Abstract: Gemfibrozil, an agent that inhibits production of proinflammatory cytokines in addition to its clinically useful lipid-lowering activity, increased survival in BALB/c mice that were already ill from infection by influenza virus A/Japan/305/57 (H2N2). Gemfibrozil was administered intraperitoneally once daily from days 4 to 10 after intranasal exposure to the virus. Survival increased from 26% in vehicle-treated mice (n = 50) to 52% in mice given gemfibrozil at 60 mg/kg/day (n = 46) (P = 0.0026). If this principle translates to patients, a drug already approved for human use, albeit by a different route for another purpose, might be adapted relatively fast for use against influenza, conceivably including human infection with a derivative of the avian H5N1 strain.

CiteXplore: 17562808

DOI: 10.1128/aac.00219-07