Viruses are associated with a range of severe
diseases such as AIDS and hepatitis and cause more than 4
million deaths annually.
Viruses enter specific cells of the body to reproduce;
their symptoms occur when viral replication kills the host
cell or when new daughter viruses leave the cell and provoke
the immune system, causing inflammation and tissue damage.
Some viral infections can be rapidly fatal, such as smallpox
or the flu, but other infections can last many years and
slowly develop into serious disease. Apollo Life Sciences is
actively working on discovering treatments for a number of
virally caused disorders, including hepatitis C.
In hepatitis C, which affects around 3% of the
world’s population, the liver becomes chronically inflamed
and scarred, which can lead to liver cancer. The disease can
remain undetected for up to 20 years. Its lack of symptoms
can make patients unwilling to endure the strong side
effects of existing treatments. There are no existing
treatments without severe side effects, including flu
symptoms, extreme emotional distress and paranoia, in some
cases inducing suicide. Apollo’s product is expected to be
more effective because it is designed to cause fewer
neurological side effects. More… |