How do you pronounce Brincidofovir?

The hard-to-pronounce drug Brincidofovir (Brin-Cid- OFFO-veer) has become the go-to drug for a handful of Ebola patients.

What is Brincidofovir used for?

Brincidofovir is an antiviral medication from Chimerix that was already in a Phase III clinical trial for its use to prevent cytomegalovirus in renal transplant patients. It is the prodrug of cidofovir. Thus, it already had safety data in over 1000 human cases.

How does Brincidofovir work as a prodrug?

Brincidofovir is a prodrug of cidofovir. Conjugated to a lipid, the compound is designed to release cidofovir intracellularly, allowing for higher intracellular and lower plasma concentrations of cidofovir, effectively increasing its activity against dsDNA viruses, as well as oral bioavailability.

How did Brincidofovir become a news story?

Brincidofovir (CMX001) was the subject of widespread social media campaigning in 2014, which was then picked up by national news sources about a boy with an adenovirus infection following a bone marrow transplant. The family requested legal access to the still-unapproved drug outside of any clinical trial, and Chimerix initially denied the request.

How is brincidofovir a lipid mimic of cidofovir?

It is a lipid mimic of cidofovir formed by linking a lipid 3-hexadecyloxy-1-propanol, to the phosphonate group of cidofovir. Brincidofovir is designed to cross cellular membranes by passive diffusion (vida supra, Phospholipid Mimics Designed to Facilitate Uptake in the Small Intestine).

Why is brincidofovir not approved for adenovirus?

Brincidofovir is not yet FDA approved for adenovirus or cytomegalovirus due to lack of efficacy in clinical trials. In a trial of brincidofovir for patients with CMV brincidofovir was associated with a 15.5% week 24 all-cause mortality compared with 10.1% among placebo recipients.