Use of alpha-glucosidase inhibitors to treat alphavirus infections
View Patent ↗The present invention provides methods for treating a flavivirus infection, including hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, in an individual suffering from a flavivirus infection. In some embodiments, the methods involve administering to an individual in need thereof an effective amount of an agent that inhibits enzymatic activity of a membrane-bound α-glucosidase inhibitor. In other embodiments, the methods involve administering to an individual in need thereof effective amounts of an α-glucosidase inhibitor and at least one additional therapeutic agent.
1. A method of treating a flavivirus infection in an individual, the method comprising administering to an individual in need thereof an effective amount of an agent that inhibits enzymatic activity of a membrane-bound α-glucosidase, wherein the agent is not an imino sugar.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the agent inhibits the p7 protein of hepatitis C virus.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the agent is acarbose or castanospermine.
4. A method of treating a flavivirus infection in an individual, the method comprising administering to an individual in need thereof effective amounts of an α-glucosidase inhibitor and at least one additional therapeutic agent, wherein the α-glucosidase inhibitor is not an imino sugar.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one additional therapeutic agent comprises an interferon-α (IFN-α).
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the IFN-α is interferon alfacon-1.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the IFN-α is pegylated.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the pegylated IFN-α is selected from peginterferon alfa-2a, peginterferon alfa-2b, and monoPEG (30 kD, linear)-ylated consensus IFN-α.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the IFN-α is hyperglycosylated.
10. The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one additional therapeutic agent comprises an interferon-γ(IFN-γ).
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the IFN-γ is interferon γ-1b.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the IFN-γ is pegylated.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the IFN-γ is hyperglycosylated.
14. The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one additional therapeutic agent comprises an HCV NS3 protease inhibitor.
15. The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one additional therapeutic agent comprises an HCV NS5B RNA-dependent RNA polymerase inhibitor.
16. The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one additional therapeutic agent comprises a nucleoside analog.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the nucleoside analog is selected from viramidine, ribavirin, and levovirin.
18. The method of claim 4 , wherein the α-glucosidase inhibitor is acarbose or castanospermine.
19. The method of claim 1 or 4 , wherein the α-glucosidase inhibitor is administered at a dosage selected from the group consisting of: about 10 mg—about 30 mg per day; about 30 mg—about 60 mg per day; about 10 mg three times daily; about 15 mg three times daily; and about 20 mg three times daily.
20. The method of any one of claims 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - 17 or 18 , wherein the individual is a human.