Fight against flu boosted by new drug

A new type of flu drug could prove a potent weapon against resistant strains of the virus, research has shown.

The drug effectively throws a spanner in the works to block the mechanism that the virus uses to spread between cells.

In laboratory tests it proved effective against a wide variety of strains, including those resistant to drugs such as Tamiflu.

It also protected mice against lethal influenza infection.

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To spread inside the body, the flu virus uses two “entry” and “exit” proteins. One, haemagglutinin, helps it enter and infect a cell. The other, neuraminidase, allows replicated viruses to break out of the cell and move on to the next target.

The new class of drugs sabotages neuraminidase and stops it functioning. As a result the virus becomes “stuck” and unable to continue down the path of infection.

Prof Steve Withers, from the University of British Columbia, who led the research, said: “Our agent latches onto this enzyme like a broken key stuck in a lock, rendering it useless.”