Therapeutic efficacy JNJ-49214698, an RSV fusion inhibitor, in RSV-infected neonatal lambs

Exceedingly cases of lower respiratory tract infection (ALRTI) in high-risk of infants, that is driven by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are raising global concern. It is including high hospitalization rate and hospital residence time. Beside the application of RSV vaccine, with no effective direct antivirals, currently, the therapeutic agents are also widely developed. JNJ-49214698 is an RSV inhibitor that targeting the major virulence factor, viral fusion (F) protein. The experiment uses neonatal lambs as animal model due to it has similar innate and adaptive immune response in human, then it was infected with RSV strain M37 (wild type) to induce ALRTI clinical symptoms. The administration of 25mg/kg JNJ-4921498 once daily within 5 days reduce the incidence and duration of RSV-associated symptoms, reduce RSV titer and infection, inhibit RSV-induced lung pathology and cellular immune response of neonatal lambs. Thus, the development of RSV inhibitor as therapeutic agent can be used as new drug of choice for RSV treatment in human.
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