1999 - Monash-designed anti-flu drug now available

The anti-flu drug Relenza, designed and synthesized by Professor Mark von Itzstein and his team at Monash, becomes available in Australia.

Today: In 1986, Mark von Itzstein and his research group in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry commenced a drug discovery program based previous research into anti-influenza drugs. He and his group designed, synthesised and biologically-evaluated a number of candidate lead compounds that led to the development of a special drug, now known as Relenza, that 'locks' onto this section of the virus and prevents it from spreading in the infected patient.

Relenza has now been approved for the treatment of influenza worldwide. As one of the key players in the drug's development, Mark was jointly awarded the prestigious Australia Prize for Pharmaceutical Sciences in 1996 and was consequently on the cover of TIME magazine.

The discovery is considered to be a significant outcome and flagship in glycotherapeutic drug development in the last century and has further consolidated the world platform of using carbohydrates as drugs and carbohydrate-recognising proteins as drug discovery targets.