LONDON, Nov. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The World Health Organization (WHO) last week reported that four new cases of SARS-like virus have been found in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and the Department of Health in Singapore reported one additional case, adding to the two cases from the Middle East reported in late September. When the first two cases were reported, BioRadar UK Ltd., a biotechnology company focused on predicting and preventing viral pandemics, published data on October 5^th showing a rise in the genomic Replikin™Count of the Human SARS Virus to the same levels of 2002 that preceded the lethal 2003 SARS outbreak.

At a seminar given today at the Healthcare Emergency Management Program, Boston University School of Medicine, Dr. Samuel Bogoch, Senior Distinguished Scholar at the BU School of Medicine, stated that the recent WHO and Singapore reports, coupled with the rise of the genomic Replikin Count to the same elevated range found in 2002 before the 2003 SARS outbreak, have prompted renewed calls for immediate trials of newly available synthetic Replikin™Vaccine, specifically developed for this unique viral strain.

An analysis of the current virus's genomic Replikin Count has revealed the Count to be increased significantly above the preceding low "resting" levels 2004-2011. The identification of the modified virus as responsible for new cases of SARS-like respiratory virus has raised concerns over the risk of the disease spreading (1). These concerns may be justified given the observed rise in virus's genomic Replikin™ Count.

Currently, the Replikin Counts in several genomic areas of "human betacoronavirus 2c EMC/2012" are 2.6, 3.5, 3.9 and 8.5. The Figure shows that the previous low Counts between 1995 and 2001 preceded the three-fold increase in 2002 to a mean of 4.5 (+/-3), which was followed in 2003 by a SARS outbreak with 8,000 cases and 774 deaths.

While a few sporadic human SARS-like cases with high Replikin Counts "do not an outbreak make," elevated genomic Replikin Counts of H1N1 observed in only two sporadic cases reported on Pubmed from Mexico in each of 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2008, presaged the onset in Mexico of the H1N1 Pandemic of 2009 (3).

The established pattern of genomic Replikin Counts increasing to high levels, accompanied by sporadic lethal human cases, followed by an outbreak of rapidly replicating spreading lethal human disease, was also found in six other correct predictions in influenza made one to two years in advance (4, 5). The geographic locations of these outbreaks were also specified, as in lethal outbreaks of H5N1 in 2006-2007 in Indonesia, and currently in Cambodia. Similarly, the highest Replikin Counts in Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) virus in 52 years (2) predicted the current outbreaks of FMD in Asia and the Middle East one year in advance.

It is unusual for two currently lethal viruses with rising Replikin Counts, namely H5N1 and the SARS-like viruses, to be of concern at the same time with regard to further spread as outbreaks or pandemics. The possibility of preventing the development of influenza and coronavirus virus outbreaks and pandemics is being considered for the first time because quantitative changes in the genome have been shown in seven instances to predict strain-specific outbreaks and the particular geographic locations where outbreaks will occur (2-5). 

The observation of increasing Replikin Counts provides time to prepare an optimal public health response, time to prepare vaccines and other therapies specific to the oncoming organism, in sufficient quantity, and time to adequately test and distribute the vaccine before the hit-and-run outbreak has begun to disappear as happened in 2009 (2-4).

In addition, the new Replikins synthetic vaccines provide distinct advantages over traditional vaccines. They are tailored to the specific Replikins in the current threatening organism, solid-phase synthesized completely free of biologicals, thus containing no bio-contaminants, synthesized in seven days instead of eight months, and effective when shipped freeze-dried, not requiring refrigeration, and at an estimated cost for 7 billion people of 10 cents per person compared with the cost of $14 per person for the biological vaccines purchased for the 2009 influenza pandemic (USA GAO).

The Replikins data suggests that any vaccines, which might be active against H5N1 (such as SyntheticReplikin™TransFluVaccine²⁰¹²) and against the SARS-like virus (such as SyntheticReplikin™Vaccine^{SARS 2012}), should be produced and tested as soon as possible. For these reasons, Replikins, Ltd. is announcing that both of these vaccines are now available for testing by government health agencies and medical schools.

Contact:  Replikins 646-320-5910; sbogoch@replikins.com

References:


1. Roos, Robert. CIDRAP news, September 25, 2012 on Human betacoronavirus 2c EMC/2012, 
van Boheemen,S. et al GenBank: JX869059.1 

2. Bogoch, S. and Bogoch, E.S. Genome Replikin Count™ Predicts Increased Infectivity/Lethality of Viruses. Nature Precedings npre20127144. O4 April 2012. 

3. Bogoch, S. and Bogoch, E.S. Prediction of specific virus outbreaks made from the increased concentration of a new class of virus genomic peptides, replikins. Nature Precedings doi:10.1038/npre.2011.6279.1.23 Aug 2011. 

4. Bogoch,S. and Bogoch, ES. Bogoch Replikins Pandemic Prevention: Increase of Strain-Specific Influenza Genomic Replikin Counts, Having Predicted Outbreaks and their Location Seven Times Consecutively, Up to Two Years in Advance, Provides Time for Prevention of Pandemics. Nature Precedings.doi:10.1038/npre.2012.6952.1 01 March, 2012 

5. UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) discussion of Replikins, DVM Newsmagazine, (Sept. 8, 2011). Reproduced in Report #42 , Replikins.com

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