An Antiviral Pharmaceutical Composition With Therapeutic Agent Originated From Astraeus Asiaticus

In recent decades, Enterovirus 71 (EV71) and Coxsackies A16 (CA16), Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1) and/or Herpes Simplex Virus type 2 (HSV-2) have been the major cause of epidemic of several diseases worldwide. This technology presents an antiviral pharmaceutical composition using at least one plant-based compound as the therapeutic agent to inhibit viral replication in a host upon administering the composition to the subject accordingly.

The composition comprises a polar extract of Astraeus asiaticus, and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients selected from the group consisting of a solvent, an additive, a buffering agent, a preservative, a flavoring agent, and a stabilizer. The composition has shown to be effective against EV71, CA16, HSV-1, and/or HSV-2. EV71 and CVA16 are the primary cause of Hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) and herpangina. HSV-1/HSV-2 are the causative agent of oral/genital herpes. The composition can be formulated including, but not limited to, oral spray, oral paste and hand gel. 

The discovery of this active ingredient A. asiaticus can significantly prevent EV71 infection where infants and children under five years old are more vulnerable to severe complications. Currently, there are no commercial product for Acyclovir-resistant strains but the active ingredient A. asiaticus is shown to be effective against HSV-1/HSV-2 and Acyclovir-resistant HSV infections.

The technology owner is seeking collaborations with OEMs, pharmaceutical and health supplement companies for manufacturing and further R&D to formulate the active ingredient into health supplements. 

An antiviral pharmaceutical composition comprising: 

• Polar extract of A. asiaticus.
• One or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients consisting of a solvent, an additive, a buffering agent, a preservative, a flavoring agent, and a stabilizer, which is effective against viral replication within a host cell infected with a predetermined virus including Acyclovir-resistant HSV-1/2.
• A. asiaticus is water soluble but can be formulated with additives to dissolve in lipid solvent.

The target market is worldwide especially in Asia such as China, East Asia, and Southeast Asia, where rates of EV71 and CVA16 infections are highly prevalent and increasing in Japan, Taiwan and Malaysia. There are plans to use the active ingredient for functional food/pills.

It is estimated that oral and nasal products in Thailand have a value of 750 million baht and has been growing by 17% of market value over three years. There are no oral care products specific to the viruses and no specific medications for hand-foot-and-mouth disease. Even though there are vaccines for this disease, it has not effectively covered all variants of viruses.

The technology is in the process of patent and approval from Thailand Food and Drug Administration. 

• Novel natural compound ingredient that is antiviral against Acyclovir-resistant strains.
• Extraction process can be applied to any manufacturer. 
• A. asiaticus can be sourced from ASEAN regions and has recently been shown to grow in culture media.
• Versatility of ingredient to be used in different formulations and compatibility with excipients.