Prophylactic Activity of Intramuscular Peramivir in Mice Infected with a Recombinant Influenza A/WSN/33 (H1N1) Virus Containing the H274Y Neuraminidase Mutation

Peramivir is a neuraminidase (NA) inhibitor (NAI) under development that must be administered by the systemic route. The prophylactic activity of intramuscular (IM) peramivir was evaluated with mice infected with wild-type (WT) and oseltamivir-resistant (H274Y NA mutant) recombinant influenza A/WSN/33 (H1N1) viruses. Treatment regimens consisted of IM injections starting 1 h before viral challenge that were single (45 mg/kg or 90 mg/kg) or multiple (45 mg/kg daily for 5 days). All peramivir regimens prevented mortality and weight loss while significantly reducing lung viral titers (LVT) in mice infected with the WT virus. For animals infected with the H274Y mutant, the multiple-dose regimen completely prevented mortality and was associated with significant reduction in weight loss and LVT compared to untreated animals. In contrast, both single-treatment regimens reduced mortality and weight loss but did not significantly reduce LVT. Although further experiments using different influenza A/H1N1 virus strains and other animal models are needed, our results suggest that 5-day IM peramivir therapy may be considered a prophylactic alternative to control influenza infections caused by oseltamivir-resistant viruses with the H274Y mutation.Neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors (NAIs) constitute one of the most valuable options for the control of influenza epidemics and pandemics. Two NAIs, inhaled zanamivir and oral oseltamivir, have been approved for the treatment and prevention of influenza infections in many countries (16). In addition, other NAIs are at different stages of development. Peramivir, which is a cyclopentane analogue compound, has shown potent in vitro activity against influenza A and B viruses (4). By the use of NAI assays, we previously demonstrated that peramivir 50% inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values for Canadian clinical influenza A/H3N2, A/H1N1, and B viruses were lower than those of zanamivir and oseltamivir (10). In other studies, mean IC₅₀ values of clinical influenza A/H1N1 viruses from untreated individuals against peramivir were also lower than those against oseltamivir and zanamivir (14, 15). Furthermore, on-site dissociation studies demonstrated that peramivir remained tightly bound to the NA enzyme with a half-time for the substrate conversion of >24 h compared to 1.25 h for both zanamivir and oseltamivir (5).In controlled trials of prophylaxis and treatment, oral peramivir was associated with reduced viral titers but no significant decrease in time to relief of symptoms, a feature that could be attributed to a low oral bioavailability in humans (6). The bioavailability of peramivir may be improved by using intravenous (IV) or intramuscular (IM) injections. Indeed, comparison of single IM versus oral peramivir with the same dose (10 mg/kg), administered 4 h prior to a lethal influenza A/WSN/33 (H1N1) virus challenge, demonstrated that the IM route was associated with a higher survival rate in mice than that of the oral route (100% versus 50%) (5). Also, a single IV injection of 3 mg/kg of peramivir provided a significant therapeutic effect that was superior to that of oral oseltamivir in a lethal mouse model of influenza A and B virus infections (18). The emergence and rapid dissemination of the seasonal A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1) virus containing the NA mutation H274Y in N2 numbering (H275Y in N1 numbering), which is associated with a high level of resistance to oseltamivir and moderate cross-resistance to peramivir in vitro (9), are a major clinical concern. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prophylactic efficacy of IM injections of peramivir in mice infected with a recombinant influenza A/WSN/33 (H1N1) virus containing or not containing the H274Y NA mutation, which has been associated with 427- and 48-fold increases in oseltamivir and peramivir IC₅₀ values, respectively, in NAI assays (1).