23rd Congress on Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (Berlin)

The most urgent issues were discussed at Congress, i.e. a new coronavirus (causing severe respiratory syndrome) and new strain of avian flu virus (H7N9), tuberculosis-related issues, HIV spread and therapy, vaccinations and therapy of “old” and “new” infections, growing antibacterial resistance and complicated nature of vaccine development.

Materia Medica Holding presented the results of comparative randomized clinical study of clinical and antiviral efficacy of Anaferon for children in children with influenza carried out within the research by RI of Pediatric Infections of Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia in cooperation with OOO "NPF "Materia Media Holding". The results of the study completed in March 2013 based on the outcomes of epidemiological season 2012-2013 were included into poster session "Hot News" which took place at Congress on April 28.

The study involved: Lobzin Yuriy Vladimirovich, Honoured Scientist of the RF, academician of RAMS, professor, chief independent expert of the RF Ministry of Health on infectious diseases in children, Director of RI of Pediatric Infections of Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia; Volzhanin Valeriy Mikhaylovich, scientific secretary of RI of Pediatric Infections f Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia, associate professor; Babachenko Irina Vladimirovna, MD, head of department of respiratory infections of RI of Pediatric Infections of Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia.

The study enrolled the children hospitalized into RI of Pediatric Infections clinic (department of respiratory infections) with influenza with high fever and expressed clinical symptoms of the disease. Children aged 1-12 years old (most of them < 3 years old) with positive rapid test for influenza were enrolled into the study (102 subjects in total). The subjects with diagnosis of influenza verified by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) were randomized into 2 groups and included into therapeutic efficacy analysis. Group 1 received Anaferon for children using therapeutic scheme for 5 days, group 2 – Oseltamivir (Tamiflu, Roche, Switzerland) for 5 days. Clinical symptoms of influenza were recorded within 7-day follow-up period; nasal/oral samples collected on a daily basis were analyzed for influenza virus using PCR method.

The study revealed that Anaferon for children is an effective and safe drug for the treatment of influenza in children. Its clinical antiviral efficacy was comparable to that of Oseltamivir, the drug which is deemed as reference therapy or influenza today. Neither of subjects had secondary infectious diseases/complications requiring antibacterial therapy.

The results of the study gained interest of the Congress organizers, mass media, experts and numerous forum members from Europe and the USA. During the poster session academician Lobzin Y.V. and the company expert, deputy research director general Andrianova E.N. gave an interview to the reviewer of the Congress website reflecting the primary results of Anaferon for children study in the treatment of younger children with influenza.