AVI BIOPHARMA'S ANTIVIRAL PROGRAM RESULTS PUBLISHED IN TWO VIROLOGY JOURNALS

AVI BioPharma has announced publication of preclinical research in the Journal of Virology and the Journal of General Virology. The results detail findings from studies of AVI's Neugene antisense agents in cell models of dengue virus and equine arteritis virus.

Dengue fever/dengue hemorrhagic fever (DF/DHF) is an emerging complex of clinical syndromes caused by dengue viruses. DF/DHF has become a major global health problem over the past 20 years. It is estimated that over 50 million human infections occur each year. DF/DHF has become the leading cause of hospitalization and death among children in Southeast Asia, and the incidence of infection and disease are sharply rising in the Americas as well. There is currently no commercially available vaccine or effective therapy. Medical supportive care is the recommended primary treatment to improve the condition of severely infected patients.