The danger continues
The current agenda centers on pressing health and epidemiological concerns for the Russian Federation, with a focus on the ongoing aftermath of the two-year pandemic and its consequences for public welfare.
“Nothing is finished. The situation today is localized, not complete, and every time measures against this infection are relaxed in a critical context, we see renewed growth in cases,” stated Anna Popova, the chief medical officer of the Russian Federation and head of Rospotrebnadzor, while evaluating the present state of COVID-19 in Russia at the congress.
COVID-19 is gradually taking on the pattern of seasonal ARVI, yet it continues to bear the hallmarks of a highly dangerous infection, particularly for at-risk individuals. The risk lies in the overlap of symptoms among COVID-19, influenza, and seasonal SARS. Researchers worldwide are pursuing universal antiviral therapies by studying molecules that include umifenovir.
In total, more than 120 preclinical and clinical studies on umifenovir have been conducted, with about one third conducted outside the country.
• Scripps Research Institute (USA) confirmed activity of umifenovir
In total, more than 120 preclinical and clinical studies on umifenovir have been conducted, with about one third conducted outside the country.
• Scripps Research Institute (USA) verified umifenovir activity against different coronavirus strains: the molecule reduces the ability of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to enter the cell and multiply.
• A team of Chinese scientists outlined a fundamentally new mechanism of inhibiting sialoglycans. Sialic acid, involved in the pathogenesis of COVID-19, influences the immune response. It is possible that severe COVID-19 outcomes are linked to high levels of sialic acid in the body, which appear in inflammatory diseases, metabolic disorders, heart disease and cancer, as well as in asthma and COPD.
• Work on the refined mechanism of interaction between the umifenovir molecule and the S-protein of the coronavirus involved researchers from multiple institutes in Ufa and Novosibirsk, with the participation of the Director General of State Studies, Doctor of Biological Sciences Rinat Maksyutov, at the Vector Center for Virology and Biotechnology. The studies indicated that the drug could bind to the surface and/or interior portion of the S-protein, weakening the viral structure and impairing its ability to penetrate the host cell.
• Umifenovir demonstrated effectiveness, safety, and tolerability in patients with mild, asymptomatic disease in a premarket phase 3 trial led by Indian researchers.
Modern approach to treatment
The symposium on the clinical and epidemiological consequences of influenza and COVID-19 during the 2021-2022 season, titled Forecasts for the Future, featured Vladimir Chulanov, Chief Freelance Specialist of Infectious Diseases for the Russian Ministry of Health, and Academician Viktor Maleev. They summarized the latest research on coronavirus infection in Russia and globally. Reports covered topics like the virology and epidemiology of influenza in the current season (EI Burtseva), antiviral activity against coronaviruses in preclinical Russian studies (IA Leneva), and pharmacoepidemiological results from COVID-19 practice (N. Yu. Pshenichnaya).
According to Irina Leneva, a Doctor of Biological Sciences who heads the Experimental Virology Laboratory at NIIVS named after Mechnikov, umifenovir is viewed as a universal antiviral drug. She noted that when taken, it blocks viruses from entering cells. The mechanism acts on specific viral proteins and remains effective across various COVID-19 strains, including the Omicron variant, by interfering with the virus’s entry processes and, in influenza, with hemagglutinin. The drug is among the Ministry of Health’s recommendations for treating and preventing COVID-19.
Leneva emphasized the key principle: begin broad-spectrum antiviral treatment early in the outpatient stage to reduce the risk of complications.
The symptoms of all acute respiratory viral infections, including influenza and COVID-19, are very similar. Timely decisions are crucial for correct diagnosis and effective treatment, since earlier therapy improves outcomes, according to Elena Burtseva, another symposium participant.
She noted that initiating therapy promptly reduces complication risks, and at the first signs of SARS, direct-acting antivirals such as umifenovir (for example, Arbidol) should be started right away. It is important not to discontinue antiviral therapy and to follow the prescribed course to prevent relapse and continued viral replication. A properly timed course can help prevent serious complications.