[Science Report]:New Cold Drug


This is the VOA SpecialEnglish Science Report.

American researchers say they have developed the first drug thatcan effectively treat adults suffering a viral respiratory infectioncalled the common cold.

A cold is an infection of the breathing system. About fiftypercent of colds are caused by a group of viruses known aspicornaviruses (pa-CORN-a-viruses). These small particles spreadfrom person to person through the air. The virus first infects thetissues in the nose and throat. Signs of a cold include sore throat,discharge of fluids from the nose, sneezing, coughing and difficultybreathing. The sinuses, ears and lungs may also become infected.This can lead to serious conditions like bronchitis or pneumonia.

Medical experts say Americans suffer as many asone-thousand-million colds every year. The experts say colds resultin fifty-one-million visits to doctors each year. Yet no treatmentsare effective against the picornavirus.

Researchers at the ViroPharma company in Exton, Pennsylvania saythey have developed such a drug. It is called pleconaril(pla-CON-ah-rill). The researchers say the drug attacks thepicornavirus. It interferes with the infection process and preventsthe virus from reproducing.

Researchers at the University of Virginia in Charlottesvillestudied the drug. They reported the results at an infectious diseaseconference in Chicago, Illinois. They said pleconaril reduces thelength and severity of a cold.

One study involved more than two-thousand people with colds whowere divided into two groups. One group took four-hundred milligramsof pleconaril three times a day for five days. The other group tookan inactive substance. Sixty-five percent of those in the study hada cold caused by a picornavirus.

The people infected with the picornavirus who took pleconarilsuffered from the cold for six days. The others who took theinactive substance suffered for seven days. The researchers said thedrug made people feel better sooner when the cold was caused by apicornavirus. They also said the drug began to ease the signs of thecold within one day. And it stopped the discharge of nasal fluidsone day sooner than usual.

The United States Food and Drug Administration is examining theresearch on pleconaril. Officials at ViroPharma say they expect thedrug to be approved later this year.

This VOA Special English Science Report was written by NancySteinbach.

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