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New Drug May Prevent the Common Cold
May 1, 2003 -- An experimental drug may one day become the first drug to both prevent and treat the common cold. New research shows a daily dose of the drug pleconaril reduced colds by as much as 50% in healthy adults over a six-week period.
The study, presented today at the 16th International Conference on Antiviral Research in Savannah, Ga., compared the effects of two different doses of pleconaril vs. placebo in reducing the frequency of colds caused by picornaviruses. These viruses are thought to cause about 65% of all common colds.
More than a thousand healthy adults were randomly assigned to take 400 mg of the drug either once or twice daily or a placebo for six weeks. During this period, the number of common colds caused by a picornavirus was reduced by 50% in those who took the higher dose of pleconaril and by 44% among those who took the lower dose compared with the placebo group.
Pleconaril is an antiviral drug that stops the cold virus from infecting normal healthy cells.
Researchers also found that among those people who got colds, those who took pleconaril seemed to develop less severe illness than the others. Pleconaril users missed up to 45% fewer school or work days, experienced up to 58% less functional impairment caused by cold symptoms, and had up to 50% fewer sleep disturbances.
Previous studies have already shown that pleconaril can reduce the severity and duration of common cold symptoms, such as runny nose and cough, but the drug has not yet been approved for use in the U.S. Last year, an FDA advisory panel voted against approving the drug, citing safety concerns.
Research has suggested that pleconaril may cause complications in women who take birth control pills, such as breakthrough bleeding, because the drug interferes with how the body processes estrogen.
In this study, women taking oral contraceptives reported menstrual disorders two to three times more frequently when taking pleconaril vs. placebo.
But researcher Frederick G. Hayden, MD, professor of internal medicine at the University of Virginia Health System, says the drug was generally well tolerated among other healthy adults. He adds that higher doses may be needed to provide greater levels of protection from the common cold.
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