The H1N1 influenza pandemic showed that respiratory viruses challenge global health security as many foreign nations, especially less developed countries, may not have preparedness plans and/or capabilities/ capacity to respond to pandemics of respiratory viruses. While much emphasis has been placed on influenza, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes this risk is not limited to influenza. On July 5-6, 2012, the WHO held an informal consultation ?Towards effective treatment of severe acute respiratory illnesses?, where the WHO introduced a new initiative ?Battle against respiratory viruses? to bring light to the need of effective treatment options for non-influenza respiratory viruses. NIAID?s own network in Mexico (La Red) has demonstrated that other respiratory viruses have significant morbidity (hospitalization) approaching that of influenza. Currently there are no proven treatments for the majority of these other respiratory viruses. Therefore in response to this public health need, as well as in response to the new WHO initiative, NIAID DCR has an interest in studying treatment of other non-influenza respiratory viruses. The DCR anticipates the scope of this project is to initiate and manage a clinical trial(s) for the treatment of non-influenza respiratory viruses. Treatment options could include DAS181, T-705, or other identified antivirals. It is anticipated that this could be accomplished by leveraging prior DCR networks ? either La Red (5 sites in Mexico City studying the epidemiology and impact of respiratory viruses) and/or IRC [Influenza Research Collaboration] (over 50 sites across 5 countries conducting a series of treatment studies for influenza).
