N,N-dioctadecyl-N',N'-bis(2-hydroxyethyl) propanediamine: antiviral activity and interferon stimulation in mice.

CP-20,961, N,N-dioctadecyl-N', N'-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)propanediamine, is an antiviral drug with low acute toxicity in mice. Parenteral injection of this compound protected mice against lethal infections with encephalomyocarditis and Semliki Forest viruses and effectively suppressed pox formation by vaccinia infection. Maximal antiviral effects were observed when CP-20,961 was administered 6 to 12 h before infection. An interferon detected in plasma 12 to 20 h after the drug was given appeared to mediate these effects. Comparison of the minimal effective and lethal doses in mice established a therapeutic index of 300.