ABSTRACT
Ferrovir (trivalent iron in complex with native sturgeon milt DNA) is nontoxic, its 50% inhibiting concentration (IC50) is at least 4000 micrograms/ml, 90% effective concentration (EC90) towards HIV-1 is 800 micrograms/ml. These effects do not depend on the cell culture or individual biological characteristics and subtypes of 7 strains of HIV-1 used in our study. The chemotherapeutic index of the drug is more than 20. Combined therapy with ferrovir and retrovir had an additive antiviral effect. Ferrovir reduced the titer of human CMV in fibroblast culture by 1-2 Ig TCD50. Ferrovir protected mice after intracerebral inoculation with lethal herpes simplex virus (type 1) (survival 33.7%, protection 27.1%, which is close to the reference group treated with zovirax). These facts evidence antiviral activity of ferrovir towards RNA and DNA viruses and prompt further study of this drug with the aim of its clinical application.
