RetroMAD1: Possible new drug for fighting Feline Immunodeficiency Virus and Feline Leukaemia

RetroMAD1 has been labelled a wonder drug for fighting two nasty feline diseases. As I understand it, the drug was not developed to treat feline diseases but developed by a private biotech company in Malaysia, BioSatria, with the intention of improving livestock production efficiency by minimizing livestock illness. They work on producing anti-viral products delivered by mouth for the livestock industry.

That is their background and it seems that their product, or one of their products, has been picked up by people involved with cats to see whether a drug that they have developed, RetroMAD1, can successfully tackle these two frightening diseases and other virus based illnesses.

The only information I can find which tells us whether the drug is successful or not is on the Furry Friends Farm website in an article written by Ellen White in which she reports that 14 cats who were sick with FIV and FeLV recovered having been given the drug (see update from James S below).

She reports on three young kittens at the Friends Very Farm animal rescue sanctuary in Malaysia. Sabrina Yeap, the sanctuary’s co-founder says,

“Just before Christmas last year we had three very small FIV positive kitten suffering from eye infections….They were so incredibly weak….The effect was almost instant….They got stronger began eating and the diarrhoea disappeared. Within a week I knew there were going to make it.”

There appear to be no side-effects. At this moment it does look like a wonder drug but I don’t know any drug that can honestly be described as a wonder drug. The rescue center is going to expand the use of the drug to puppies afflicted with the parvovirus.

James S commenting said:

“I was looking for a way to contact you privately Michael Broad. I have been using RetroMAD1 on my near deathly sick kitten with FeLV. I am in the US and when I say this stuff works its the understatement of the year. Odorless, tasteless, absolutely no side effects, and its a liquid oral medication thats is incredibly easy to administer. IF you have any questions email me. My kitten had a 106 fever, a skin infection that made her hair fall out, and she hid in corner waiting to die until I received my RetroMAD1. Within 3 days of treatment she came out of her hiding spot and has gotten better each day. It is meant to be an HIV drug but it will probably take forever to get approved thats if big pharma doesn’t block its production completely.”

This drug is described as “an experimental recombinant protein biologic antiviral drug”. At present, as the drug is manufactured in Malaysia, it is being tested on cats in Malaysia. I presume it is not available anywhere else.

The company says that they wanted to develop a broad-spectrum drug with a bigger punch, which works on all ‘four levels’. What they mean is that viruses work in four different ways and they wanted to attack the virus in each way that it works. These are the ways that viruses work:

1. Link onto the cell surface
2. Inject their genetic material into the cell
3. Integrate themselves into the cell by incorporating their genes into the hosts DNA
4. Hijack the cell’s protein factories to make more parts for viral assembly.

The drug blocks the virus at all these points they say.

I think it’s worth mentioning this drug because although it is at an early stage, these two diseases are so devastating that people should be aware of RetroMAD1, to encourage development and be hopeful that a cure can be found.

No doubt it will be tested on people as well in due course. Human AIDS would be the virus of choice to tackle with this drug.

Note: my thanks to Brenda Hughes who left a comment referring to this drug. Brenda, you asked about this drug. My research indicates that it is at too early a stage to comment really. It is probably only available in Malaysia where they are running tests. If they are successful no doubt at some stage you’ll be able to get it in the USA and Europe.

Associated pages: Signs of FeLV – Colloidal silver and FIV cats – Modern Treatments FeLV, FIP and FIV.