Avanir grant
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
NIH awards Avanir Pharmaceuticals a $100,000 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research grant to test docosonal with known antiviral agents, including acyclovir and other nucleoside antivirals. NIH issued the grant based on Avanir data indicating n-docosanol enhances the antiviral activity of nucleoside analogs against replication of several herpes viruses in vitro. Avanir says the funds will enable the firm to further study combination treatments to "provide more effective control of serious cases of herpes infections." Avanir's Abreva (docosonal 10%) cream is the first FDA-approved OTC for the treatment of cold sores and fever blisters (1"The Tan Sheet" July 31, p. 3). The firm had previously received one "not approvable" letter from FDA for the product, not two as reported in "The Tan Sheet"