FLU STOPPER

By Christine Gorman

Running nose. raging fever. Aching joints. Splitting headache. Are there any poor souls suffering from the flu this winter who haven't longed for a pill to make it all go away? Relief may be in sight. Researchers at Gilead Sciences, a pharmaceutical company in Foster City, California, reported last week in the Journal of the American Chemical Society that they have discovered a compound that can stop the influenza virus from spreading in animals. Tests on humans are set for later this year.

The new compound takes a novel approach to the familiar flu virus. It targets an enzyme, called neuraminidase, that the virus needs in order to scatter copies of itself throughout the body. This enzyme acts like a pair of molecular scissors that slices through the protective mucous linings of the nose and throat. After the virus infects the cells of the respiratory system and begins replicating, neuraminidase cuts the newly formed copies free to invade other cells. By blocking this enzyme, the new compound, dubbed GS 4104, prevents the infection from spreading. Other drug companies have tried targeting neuraminidase, but so far only Gilead has come up with a formula that can be taken in pill form.

Don't toss out the chicken soup just yet, however. Researchers won't know for at least two years whether GS 4104 is safe and effective. They already know that it won't work on the common cold, which is what half of "flu" sufferers really have. Even at that, the compound works best during the first 48 hours of infection--before most people even begin experiencing those running noses and raging fevers. That is why the scientists at Gilead predict that it will be better at keeping you from getting your neighbor's flu than treating your own.

--By Christine Gorman