Patents for Rheumatoid Arthritis Awarded
The Immune Response Corporation Granted U.S. Patent For Targeting and Vaccinating With T Cell Receptor Peptides Patent Covers Combination of Key Protein Sequences in Company's Investigational Immune-based Product for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis
CARLSBAD, Calif., Aug 9, 2000 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The Immune Response Corporation (Nasdaq: IMNR chart, msgs) announced today that it has received United States Patent Number 6,090,387 covering methods and compositions relating to its immune-based technology for the prevention and/or treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The patent includes specific claims covering a combination of key protein sequences (peptides) from the Vbeta 3, Vbeta 14 and Vbeta 17 regions present on the surface of aberrant T cells associated with joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis. By vaccinating with a combination of Vbeta 3, Vbeta 14 and Vbeta 17 peptides, the Company believes its product may inhibit the disease-associated T cells and may prevent further damage.
"This is a key patent in that it directly covers the composition of IR501, our investigational therapeutic vaccine in development to treat rheumatoid arthritis," said Richard Bartholomew, Ph.D., Executive Director, Research Operations, of The Immune Response Corporation. "The issuance of this patent serves to further strengthen our comprehensive intellectual property position in the field of T cell receptor peptide vaccine research."
The Company has successfully completed two Phase 2 clinical trials in rheumatoid arthritis using this proprietary immune-based therapy. In a Phase 2b clinical trial of 340 rheumatoid arthritis patients with active disease, the Company's investigational product demonstrated safety and tolerability, and suggested a statistically significant treatment effect using criteria established by the American College of Rheumatology.
Several autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and multiple sclerosis, result from the proliferation of misdirected T cells that incorrectly identify and destroy the individual's own tissue, such as the lining of joints in rheumatoid arthritis. The Company's proprietary technology seeks to identify unique T cell receptors (TCRs), which are proteins found on the surface of these autoreactive pathogenic T cells. Patients are then vaccinated with portions of these TCR proteins, called TCR peptides, which are specific to these autoreactive T cells. The Company believes that this therapy may induce the immune system to eliminate or inhibit the aberrant T cells without affecting other normal cells.
The Immune Response Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company based in Carlsbad, California, developing immune-based therapies to induce specific immune responses for the treatment of HIV, autoimmune diseases and cancer. In addition, the Company is developing a targeted non-viral delivery technology for gene therapy, which is designed to enable the delivery of genes directly to the liver via intravenous injection.
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This news release contains forward-looking statements. Actual results could vary materially from those expected due to a variety of risk factors, including, but not limited to, whether our patents will be enforceable, whether additional clinical trials will be successfully concluded and whether any potential product(s) will be approved for marketing or be successfully commercialized and those factors discussed more thoroughly in The Immune Response Corporation's SEC filings, including but not limited to its report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999 and subsequent Forms 10-Q. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements which may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Source: The Immune Response Corporation |
