DOYLESTOWN, Pa., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — The Quigley Corporation , http://www.quigleyco.com/, announced positive results from a follow up study conducted by its wholly owned subsidiary, Quigley Pharma, http://www.quigleypharma.com/, designed to examine the ability of its veterinary anti-viral compound QR448(a) to prevent the transmission of Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV) from infected to non-infected 2 week old commercial broiler chickens, a consumer meat type bird. After the 14 day study only 4% of the birds treated with QR448(a) contracted IBV from previously infected birds versus 22% of birds that contracted IBV from previously infected birds and were not treated with QR448(a). This data shows that treating these birds with QR448(a) produced a statistically significant 5.5 fold decrease in the transmission of IBV compared to birds that were not treated with the QR448(a) compound.
Veterinary poultry products industry experts and those familiar with prevention and control of IBV recognize that abating transmission is perhaps one of the most important ways to economically prevent, control and manage potential losses due to IBV outbreaks.
The Company recently announced positive results of a study to determine the duration of anti-viral effect of QR448(a) against IBV in commercial broiler chickens, which indicated that 1 day old commercial broilers, when treated with QR448(a) were protected 50-100% of the time from the clinical pathogenic effects of IBV for up to 4 days compared to 0-20% of the time in un-treated birds.
The Company plans to continue to build on these recent positive results to improve its potential commercial and partnering prospects.
Dr. Richard Rosenbloom Executive VP and COO of Quigley Pharma stated: “In addition to observing the positive effects of preventing transmission of a particularly challenging viral isolate, these results have also demonstrated that the QR448(a) compound can effectively be applied to a larger population of birds and in an environment that closely resembles a commercial scale.”
Dr. Mark Jackwood Professor, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, who conducted the study, stated: “By demonstrating the ability of QR448(a) to significantly decrease transmission of Arkansas vaccine virus, this experiment directly addresses an extremely important problem of persistence of this isolate in commercial broiler flocks and the potential for managing a real industry problem by limiting persistence and reducing outbreaks. This work also shows that QR448(a) is effective against a different IBV serotype, indicating that it has the potential to control all infectious bronchitis viruses regardless of virus type. In addition, spray treatment of QR448(a) is fast, extremely easy, and suitable for mass delivery of the compound to thousands of commercial birds.”
About the Study: -- Two colonies of 120 two week old commercial broiler chickens were housed in 8' X 8' colony houses. Twenty birds from each colony were identified and infected with a full dose of the commercially available Arkansas type IBV vaccine virus and isolated for 2 hours. Due to safety, exposure and handling concerns of IBV in a large scale experiment, Arkansas type vaccine virus was recognized as a comparable surrogate for this investigation. The infected birds were reintroduced to their colony after which time one colony of birds were spray treated with 1ml of a 1:20 dilution of QR448(a) and the other colony was not spray treated. -- At 3, 7, 10 and 14 days post treatment, 25 non-infected and 5 infected birds were removed and their tracheas swabbed and tested for the detection and transmission of virus from infected to non-infected birds. -- It was demonstrated clearly that the QR448(a) treated colony showed a statistically significant 5.5 fold reduction in transmission of virus at 14 days post-exposure [(P value, less than and/or equal to 0.1) One way analysis of variance, Student's test] and a non-statistical 3 fold reduction was observed at 10days post-exposure compared to the colony that was not treated with QR448(a). -- Serology, necropsy and clinical observations confirmed that other avian pathogens and or immune-suppression had not influenced the results and were consistent with exposure to a non-pathogenic vaccine virus. -- Since QR448(a) has been shown previously to be effective against pathogenic isolates of IBV and now against Arkansas vaccine virus, it is expected that it will also limit transmission of pathogenic IBV in broilers and thereby decrease the severity of the disease.
The Quigley Corporation makes no representation that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or any other regulatory agency will issue an investigational new animal drug number or allow this compound to be marketed for IBV. Furthermore, no claim is made that the potential medicine discussed here is safe, effective, or approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
About The Quigley Corporation
The Quigley Corporation is a diversified natural health medical science company. Its Cold Remedy segment is a leading marketer and manufacturer of the COLD-EEZE(R) family of lozenges, gums and sugar free tablets clinically proven to cut the common cold nearly in half. COLD-EEZE customers include leading national wholesalers and distributors, as well as independent and chain food, drug and mass merchandise stores and pharmacies. The Quigley Corporation has wholly owned subsidiaries; Quigley Manufacturing Inc. consists of two FDA approved facilities to manufacture COLD- EEZE(R) lozenges as well as fulfill other contract manufacturing opportunities and Quigley Pharma Inc. (http://www.quigleypharma.com/) conducts research in order to develop and commercialize a pipeline of patented botanical and naturally derived potential prescription drugs.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve known and unknown risk, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company’s actual performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statement. Factors that impact such forward-looking statements include, among others, changes in worldwide general economic conditions, changes in interest rates, government regulations, and worldwide competition.
CONTACT: Media Investor Relations Karen Pineman Carl Hymans G.S. Schwartz & Co. G.S. Schwartz & Co. 212.725.4500 212.725.4500 [email protected] [email protected]
Quigley Corporation
CONTACT: Media: Karen Pineman, [email protected], or InvestorRelations: Carl Hymans, [email protected], both of G.S. Schwartz & Co.,+1-212-725-4500, for The Quigley Corporation
Web Site: http://www.quigleyco.com/http://www.quigleypharma.com/
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