Journal of Infectious Diseases & Therapy
Open Access

Abstract

For over a decade, Human Viral Challenge Studies have successfully been conducted at Retroscreen Virology to develop a series of well-characterised virus stocks, whilst demonstrating that the Human Viral Challenge Model (VCM) could be effective in offering clients a faster and cost effective route to market for their therapeutics. The Human Viral Challenge Model enables global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as leading academic groups and government institutions, to undertake scientific research, accelerate the drug development timeline and reduce the cost of bringing antiviral drugs, vaccines and diagnostics to market. The VCM also enables fundamental research into the human response to infection and crucial research into modes of infection and transmission between individuals in the community. By monitoring the entire disease lifecycle as subjects move from healthy to sick and recover back to healthy again, we can obtain high quality, longitudinal data from the before, during and after phases of disease. The model can be used to study the efficacy of new therapies and also to study the target disease itself. As Retroscreen Virology has grown and developed, the VCM has become widely accepted as an alternative to traditional early stage field trials to show the efficacy of antiviral or vaccine therapeutics in Influenza, RSV and HRV.

Biography

Anthony S Gilbert obtained his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. He is a member of the Institute of Clinical Research. He has served as an expert member and Alternate Vice Chair of a National Research Ethics Service (NRES) committee, having been appointed by the Health Research Authority in the United Kingdom. For over a decade, he has played an important role in the development of the Human Viral Challenge Model at hVIVO. As a Principal Investigator, he has supervised and conducted viral challenge studies in order to further the quest to bring safer and more effective vaccines and antivirals to the global community. The research has been published in several medical and scientific journals, including ‘Nature Medicine’.

Email: a.gilbert@hvivo.com