Award details

African swine fever outbreak containment strategy using small-molecule antiviral drugs

Reference	BB/S015256/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Linda Dixon
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Professor Philippa Hawes
Institution	The Pirbright Institute
Department	African Swine Fever Virus
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	322,563
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	05/08/2019
End date	28/02/2022
Duration	31 months

Abstract

African swine fever virus (ASFV) causes an acute haemorrhagic fever (ASF) in domestic pigs and wild boar resulting in high mortality. The disease has a high socio-economic impact in affected countries. The virus is a large cytoplasmic DNA virus that replicates primarily in macrophages in vivo. About one third of the 150 to 167 genes are predicted to code for proteins that help the virus to evade the host's defences and replicate rapidly following infection of animals. Hence, the development of an effective and safe vaccine has proven challenging. Therefore, alternative/supplementary control tools are needed. Following a library screen of about 5,000 compounds, we have previously identified 13 small-molecule antiviral drugs that effectively inhibit ASFV replication in Vero cell culture by at least 90% without causing cytotoxic effects on the cells. Confirmation of their activity against a panel of different isolates representing different genotypes of ASFV will be carried out using primary cells. Moreover, drug-resistant ASFV variants will be generated and sequenced. Resistance-associated mutations will be identified using reverse genetics thereby elucidating the mechanism of action of the class of antiviral molecules. Following in vitro and in silico ADME-Tox studies (absorption, distribution, metabolism, extraction and toxicity studies), a maximum of six compounds will be selected for pharmacokinetic studies in pigs. Of these, a maximum of three compounds with a favorable oral exposure profile (i.e., plasma concentration above the in vitro 50% effective concentration for more than 6h) will be selected for single-dose and repeat-dose safety testing in pigs. A maximum 2 of the above candidate drugs will be tested for efficacy at the state-of-the-art BSL3+ animal facilities of the Pirbright Institute. In this project, the academic-industry partnership will lead to the identification of a drug candidate to be taken forward in regulatory development studies.

Summary

African swine fever (ASF) is a frequently fatal disease of pigs with a very high socio-economic impact. The disease represents an increasing risk to the UK, EU and global pig industries due to its dramatic and increasing spread in a number of countries in the Trans Caucasus, Russian Federation and Eastern Europe, including EU member states and most recently China. The UK pig industry is valued at around £1 billion per year and represents 40% of the red meat market (Defra, 2008-2009; AHDB, 2014). Exports, currently valued at about £300 million, would be halted if ASF entered the UK. ASF control relies on rapid diagnosis and implementation of quarantine, movement restrictions and stamping out policies. These measures have a high impact on the livelihoods of farmers and others involved in the pork industry and a severe effect on animal welfare. Several factors contribute to the difficulty in controlling ASF. Amongst these is the lack of a vaccine and presence of wild pig reservoirs of infection. In this project we will tackle this emerging infectious disease of wild and domestic pigs by optimising small-molecule, antiviral lead compounds that specifically inhibit the replication the ASF virus (ASFV). We have already identified a class of molecules with potent anti-ASFV activity. Apart from elucidating their exact mechanism of action, the identified lead molecules will be optimised to increase (i) pan-genotype activity using a reference panel of ASFV isolates from 14 genotypes, (ii) selectivity and (iii) oral bio-availability prior to safety and efficacy testing in pigs. Once optimised, such antiviral drugs can be deployed quickly (e.g. following stockpiling) in case of an ASF incursion into a previously-free area by administering the drug as a prophylactic and metaphylactic measure to pigs in protection zones around infected premises. Previous research on classical swine fever (CSF), another epizootic disease of pigs, has demonstrated that antiviral drugs are a valid supplement and/or alternative to emergency vaccination and stamping-out/pre-emptive culling from an epidemiological and economic point of view. Indeed, it has been shown that an antiviral drug administered to CSF-infected pigs (i) reduces the viral titre by a 1000-fold, (ii) shortens the period virus is detected in blood by 74% and (iii) reduces transmission from infected/treated pigs to untreated sentinel pigs by 85% (Vrancken et al., 2009a; 2009b). The proposed antiviral containment strategy for CSF was further validated using epidemiological modelling studies conducted in two pig-dense areas in the EU (Ribbens et al., 2012; Backer et al., 2013). CSF outbreaks were controlled at least as effectively with antiviral drugs as with more conventional strategies such as pre-emptive culling and emergency vaccination. Although none have been registered for use in livestock, the merits of small-molecule, antiviral drugs are well established in human medicine against infectious diseases such as AIDS and hepatitis C, for which no vaccines are available. This is the first project to bring together a high-quality research organisation and a biotech company that combined have the technical skills, know-how and expertise to successfully introduce the use of antiviral drugs as an effective approach to ASF control. The academic-industry partnership will advance our understanding of how ASFV replicates including the role(s) of certain virus and/or cellular proteins by elucidating the mechanism of virus inhibition. These insights will help advance the rational development of complementary ASFV vaccine candidates and will help understand how to effectively combine an antiviral drug containment strategy with vaccination using a live-attenuated vaccine.

Impact Summary

Academic Impact The academic impact will be to improve understanding of how the small-molecule antiviral drugs inhibit ASFV replication by identifying viral target proteins (e.g. viral polymerase PolX or DNA polymerase). Knowledge of the targeted viral proteins contributes to a better overall understanding of the viral replication mechanisms and how these might differ in continuous cell lines (e.g. Vero cells) and primary cells. The class of drugs may also target virus cell attachment proteins which will open up new approaches for vaccine development efforts. Moreover, an improved understanding of the mode of action of the antiviral drugs and of the ASFV replication mechanisms will lead to new strategies for ASFV control (e.g, the possibility of combining an antiviral drug strategy with vaccination using a live-attenuated vaccine. Such a combination strategy has never been put to the test for ASF). Economic and societal impacts The present research is pre-competitive in nature. If successful, the economic and societal impacts are huge. Globally, there are an estimated 1.3 billion swine. The EU is the second largest pork producer with ca. 186 million head. The proportion of world meat consumption equals 40% pork, 29% chicken, 24% beef and 7% other. The potential economic impact of an ASF introduction in the USA has been estimated at US$ 4,500M; ca. 5% of the value of total sales of pork products. Estimates are that the pig industry will be one of the fastest growing agriculture sectors to meet growing demand for meat from developing economies. Further spread of ASF would threaten this growth and global food security. Pork producers need tools to respond to the pressure to supply increasing quantities of meat using fewer natural resources, and to combat highly infectious emerging diseases such as ASF, especially in the absence of a safe and effective ASF vaccine. The here proposed interdisciplinary approach (i.e., chemistry expertise combined with ASF know-how and anindustrial development perspective) is expected to deliver a solution to safeguard this industry by developing an antiviral drug to contain outbreaks of ASF, thereby reducing the economic and death losses that characterize this devastating disease. Following regulatory approval, such drugs can be taken up in EU Directives (e.g. Council Directive 2002/60/EC) and national ASF contingency plans since there is no impediment to their use according to the current EU Animal Health Law. Antiviral drugs alone or in combination with vaccines have the potential to reduce if not completely eliminate the occurrence of ASF in Europe (Zakaryan & Revilla, 2016). Beneficiaries The beneficiaries from the research will include the research community, animal health companies and organizations involved in national and global control of epizootic virus diseases. These include other UK Government Departments including DEFRA and DFID, veterinary authorities in the UK, EU and other countries and International Organizations including the World Animal Health Organization (OIE) and United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The research will also benefit farmers and others involved in food production chains and the public. The latter will benefit from improved control of an important livestock disease and resulting stabilization of supplies and price of pork. Outreach and knowledge exchange activities carried out during the project will help to inform the public at large, schools and farming communities of the threats imposed by ASF and other livestock diseases and how we can develop methods to control these diseases. Academic beneficiaries will benefit from new cutting edge knowledge on ASFV replication mechanisms and alternative control tools. The use of this knowledge to construct modified viruses which do not cause disease and induce a protective response will benefit both academic beneficiaries and animal health companies involved in vaccine production.

Committee	Research Committee A (Animal disease, health and welfare)
Research Topics	Animal Health, Microbiology
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	LINK: Responsive Mode [2010-2015]
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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