It is estimated that there are approximately 500,000 cases of enteroviral meningitis each year in the United States.
Enteroviruses are the predominant cause of meningitis.
The vast majority of these cases occur in the summer and early fall, and most commonly affect children and young adults. To date, no antiviral treatment or cure is available for treating enteroviral infections. The drug inhibits the replication of greater than 95 percent of the most commonly isolated serotypes of enterovirus associated with serious clinical disease. Prior studies with this orally- administered drug have demonstrated that the compound is well absorbed, has good oral bioavailability and has a large volume of distribution, indicating the potential for delivery of the drug to the sites of infection. The primary endpoints of the study will evaluate the ability of the drug to reduce the significant morbidity associated with the illness and the time to resumption of normal activity.