Hemispherx Announces New Approach to HIV-Inhibition / Test Results Show Potential Advantages of Ampligen(R) as Anti-HIV Agent
15.12.1999, 09:30
Philadelphia (PROTEXT) - Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. (Amex:HEB; HEBws) today announced that recent independent laboratorytest results show potential advantages of its product Ampligen(R)as an anti-HIV agent. According to findings presented today at the Immune-BasedTherapy-2 (IBT-2) conference in Boston, 12 out of 14 drugsapproved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as anti-HIVagents demonstrated pronounced antiviral effectiveness withAmpligen(R), with no examples of inhibiting the effectiveness ofother drugs. Also, all members of the newest class of powerfulHIV inhibitors, termed protease inhibitors, were enhanced byAmpligen. In fact, enhancement magnitudes varied from severalhundred percent enhancement to more than 800% enhancement. The new results, developed by independent researchers at theUniversity of California at Irvine, examined all 14 FDA-approvedanti-HIV agents. IBT-2 is a clinical/research workshop sponsoredby a group of nine AIDS service-and-research entities in theBoston area. The new test-tube studies examined various concentrations ofthe different drugs under conditions designed to simulate theclinical situation in patients. Using a pharmacological approachtermed "Mixed Drug Effect Analyses," researchers determinedwhether a new drug addition dramatically increased antiviraleffectiveness (known as drug synergy), had no effect whatsoever(known as neutral compound) or inhibited the effectiveness of theother drugs (known as drug antagonism). "Pronounced antiviral synergy represents a potentially newtherapeutic approach to long-term suppression of HIV," saidWilliam A. Carter, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer ofHemispherx. "In recent years, powerful drug cocktails havesubdued the virus to undetectable levels in many patients. Butvarious studies have recently found that the virus comes roaringback in the majority of patients because the virus survivedtherapy by hiding in certain cells and tissues. Furtherintensification of antiretroviral treatment by therapies that areless toxic and complex are a promising avenue of investigation.Double-stranded RNA technology, which includes Ampligen(R),represents a mechanism of action distinctly different from thatof the available 14 FDA-approved drugs." Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical companyspecializing in new therapeutic approaches to HIV/AIDS, ChronicFatigue Syndrome (CFS) and hepatitis B/C utilizing the immunesystem. It has offices in Philadelphia, Belgium and France andnew drug development facilities in the Washington, D.C., area.Hemispherx was recently listed on the "Russell 2000" Index ofsmall capitalization stocks. Information contained in this news release other thanhistorical information, should be considered forward-looking andis subject to various risk factors and uncertainties. Forinstance, the strategies and operations of Hemispherx involverisks of competition, changing market conditions, changes in lawsand regulations affecting these industries and numerous otherfactors discussed in this release and in the Company's filingswith the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, actualresults may differ materially from those in any forward-lookingstatements. ots Original Text Service: Hemispherx Biopharma,Inc. Internet: http://www.newsaktuell.de Contact: William A.Carter, M.D., CEO & Chairman of Hemispherx Biopharma, Tel. (USA)215-988-0080 William Jenks of Broadgate Consultants Tel. (USA)212-232-2222 Fax: (USA) 212-232-3232, for Hemispherx Diane Will,Investor Relations Tel. (USA) 214-954-9300 Fax: (USA) 214-954-9333 Web site: http://www.hemispherx.com
Subscribers please note that material bearing the slug"PROTEXT" is not part of CTK's news service and is not to bepublished under the "CTK" slug. Protext is a commercial serviceproviding distribution of press releases from clients, who areidentified in the text of Protext reports and who bear fullresponsibility for their contents.
PROTEXT