January 17, 2007

Scientists in Iceland discover enzymes in cod can fight bird flu 

An enzyme found in cod could help scientists to find a drug to fight the avian flu and become an alternative to Tamiflu, an Icelandic company said.

Zymetech, founded in 1996 by scientists from the University of Iceland in Reykjavik, concentrates on making pharmaceuticals and cosmetics developed from enzymes found in fish.

One of the company's medical products is Penzim, a compound in cod which has been shown to help relieve a variety of conditions such as skin problems.

Zymetech's managing director Jon Bragi Bjarnason, said that a formulation of Penzim had been shown to destroy 99 percent of H5N1 bird flu virus cells in an experimental culture within five minutes.

The study was carried out by an independent research group based at the Centre for Infectious Diseases and the London Queen Mary's School of Medicine & Dentistry in London.

The results look very promising, said Professor Bjarnason, who teaches biochemistry at the University of Iceland.

He said he believed the enzyme could be used to help to develop an alternative to Roche's anti-flu drug Tamiflu and other rival products. Rather than a tablet, he said the enzyme could also be developed into a spray for use as a disinfectant.

The report by Retroscreen Virology said such a product would be ideal for use in poultry farms or quarantine units to prevent species-to-species transmission of the virus.

Zymetech is currently seeking to raise up to US$30 million to help further develop Penzim as a pharmaceutical product and conduct initial clinical trials.