New kid on the block: Asterivir’s website has just gone live. Asterivir – a spinout from EPFL (École Polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne) – develops CD-based broad spectrum antivirals lead by Francesco Stellacci, Paulo Jacob Silva and Oscar Buset. The initial findings of the company were published earlier (Caroline Tapparel Vu et al. )
The website contains nice video graphics of the mechanism of action, which is worth checking!
Cyclodextrin derivatives were demonstrated to be endowed with intrinsic antiviral action against several viruses (herpes, HIV, RSV, influenza, covid19, etc.). In this great work from Rachele Francese, Francesco Trotta, Claudio Cecone, Matteo Constantino, Gjylije Hoti, Pierangiola Bracco, and David Lembo from the University of Turin, four water-soluble hyper-branched beta cyclodextrin anionic polymer were screened against herpes simplex virus (HSV-2), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), rotavirus (HRoV), and influenza virus (FluVA). The results suggest that the polymer virucidal activity against RSV can be exploited to produce new antiviral materials to counteract the virus dissemination through the air or direct contact.
