Anti-infectives

Our immune system works tirelessly to ensure invading microbes, fungi and bacteria, we encounter daily, do not overwhelm us. When we are healthy, we are unaware of the complex battle our immunity wages to ensure invading bacteria are isolated and destroyed.

Occasionally, our immune system can be overwhelmed, either due to new novel infectious agents we have not encountered previously, as with Coronavirus (Covid 19), or more usually, due to a weakened immune system, which struggles to address systemic infection. These present acutely as sepsis or  more usually as chronic bacterial or more rarely fungal infections, such as aspergillosis, in patients on immunosuppressive treatments arising from cancer treatment. Historically fungal infections were seen in those with weakened immunity, such as from HIV infection.

Today, the powerful immunosuppressive regimes employed in some haematological cancers and in supporting organ transplantation can lead to increased risk of systemic fungal and viral infections.
Athena treatments directly address cytomegalovirus with Cymevene ® systemic fungal infections with Fungizone® and systemic viral infections with Valcyte®.

Athena is very supportive of preventative strategies to boost immunity, especially in younger and older patients. Immunomodulation, especially in harnessing our microbiome presents a very promising arena of research and medical practice to bolster immunity, at the beginning and the end of life, in specific patient conditions.