Associate Professor Manfred Beilharz and his colleagues, from UWA’s School of Biomedical, Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences (Discipline of Microbiology and Immunology) have successfully produced supporting evidence for the treatment of flu using interferon alpha in one biological model, and as a result of their work, phase two human clinical trials are now underway.

According to UWA research, interferon alpha may be the key to banishing seasonal viruses / Image: Istockphoto

The orally-ingested treatment, in the form of low dose interferon alpha, acts by mimicking the body’s immune response when attacked by foreign particles such as viruses. 

“Interferon alpha, by the nature of its early signalling status in the immune cascade, should confer protection against a vast range of viruses, so there really is nothing out there comparable,” says Associate Professor Beilharz.

“There are vaccines, but they only protect you against last year’s influenza strain. 

“I don’t think there’s another product out there that has the promise that oral interferon has because we’re talking about a pan-viral agent,” he says.

Approximately 200 participants have been recruited for the phase two clinical trials and have been administered interferon alpha daily for the entire winter period. 

Participants have been asked to record their winter cold and flu symptoms on a weekly basis and monitored for their health.

According to Associate Professor Beilharz, the interferon alpha treatment in the form of a lozenge, is inexpensive and has no known side-effects.

“If there’s no downside to taking these very small doses of interferon orally then it’s quite possible they’ll end up not being prescription medicine but something that you can buy to lower your incidences of colds and flu,” he says.

If phase two human clinical trials are successful, phase three trials will be conducted in the USA during their winter season.  If these trials are successful, the treatment may be available on the market within two years.

Phase two human clinical trials are being funded by the Health Department of WA as part of their SHRAC initiative.  US company, Amarillo Biosciences provided the lozenges and the web-based data collection system for the trial.

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