The results, when unblinded, stunned the medical community. Among high-risk patients (elderly, asthmatics, pregnant women), AVI-7 reduced hospitalization rates by 76 percent compared to placebo. Even more remarkable, viral sequencing showed zero resistance mutations after 60 days of treatment—something never seen with oseltamivir (Tamiflu).
The European Medicines Agency approved AVI-7 in December 2023 for adults with confirmed influenza A, conditional on kidney monitoring. Within nine months, Phoenix cases had declined by 60 percent in countries where the drug was deployed. anti virus trial
With regulatory approval, 40 healthy volunteers received ascending doses of AVI-7 at a hospital in Oslo. The goal: find side effects. Most reported mild nausea. Two developed temporary liver enzyme elevations, setting a maximum safe dose. No one died. No one got sick from the virus because they were never exposed to it. The results, when unblinded, stunned the medical community
But the trial also revealed a serious flaw. In two patients with pre-existing kidney disease, the drug accumulated to toxic levels, causing acute renal failure. Both recovered after dialysis, but the data were clear: AVI-7 could not be given without prior kidney function screening. The drug’s label would need a bolded warning. The European Medicines Agency approved AVI-7 in December