ADVR > A 75c Biotech Play with Huge Potential.
YONKERS, N.Y., Mar 16, 2000 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The following Corporate Profile
is available for inclusion in your files. News releases for this client are
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Published Date: March 16, 2000
Company Name: Advanced Viral Research Corp.
Address: 200 Corporate Boulevard South
Yonkers, NY 10701
Main Telephone
Number: 914-376-7383
Chairman and
Chief Executive
Officer: Shalom Z. Hirschman, MD
Chief Financial
Officer: Alan Gallantar
Investor Relations
Contact: Alan Gallantar
914-376-7383
Media Relations
Contact: Jill Miller or Mike Rosen
Bratskeir & Company
212-679-2233
jmiller@bratskeir.com
mrosen@bratskeir.com
Industry: Biopharmaceuticals
Trading Symbol/
Exchange: OTCBB: ADVR
Company description:
OVERVIEW:
Advanced Viral Research Corp. (OTCBB: ADVR), based in Yonkers, New York, is a
biopharmaceutical firm committed to researching, developing and bringing to
market new effective therapies for viral and other diseases to alleviate human
suffering and diseases worldwide.
Its flagship experimental drug, "Product R" (Reticulose(TM)), is a non-toxic
immunomodulator the company is developing as a broad spectrum antiviral drug.
The company believes the drug shows promise for the treatment of viral
infections such as AIDS and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), and autoimmune diseases
such as rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes mellitus. "Product R" was formerly
referred to by the company as "Substance R."
"Product R" belongs to the chemical class of peptide nucleic acids (PNA), which
are stable analogues of genes. Advanced Viral Research Corp. laboratory studies
have shown that "Product R" inhibits the production of both the CCR5 and CXCR4
chemokine receptors, the key cellular co-receptors for the human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV). ADVR research also indicates that the drug
stimulates the immune system and interferes with viral replication.
The company recently received formal approval to begin human clinical studies of
"Product R" in Argentina. Applications for clinical studies in the United States
are expected to be delivered to the FDA later this year.
"Product R" is a second-generation therapeutic. Its predecessor was developed in
the early 1900s. Using modern medical technology, scientists at The Advanced
Viral Research Institute have refined the drug's preparation and pharmaceutical
production.
CLINICAL TRIALS & RECENT FINDINGS:
CLINICAL TRIAL DATA: Data from a double-blind study of 43 AIDS patients were
presented at the American Society of Microbiology's Annual Meeting in 1998. The
presentation was entitled, "Controlled Trial of a New Non-Toxic Drug,
Reticulose, in the Treatment of Patients with HIV/AIDS." It included data that
revealed that "Product R" can stimulate the immune system to produce increased
CD4 positive cells without an accompanying rise in HIV viral load. The patients
in the Reticulose test group also gained weight and experienced an improved
clinical condition, compared with the control group. The study took place at the
Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University of West Indies School of Medicine in
Barbados. The principal investigators were Henry Fraser, M.D., chairman of the
department of medicine and clinical pharmacology, and Paul Levett, Ph.D., a
microbiologist and former chair of the World Health Organization's Committee on
Leptospirosis.
AIDS GENOTYPING STUDY: Currently, a team of research scientists, led by Dr. Paul
Levett, is conducting an HIV genotyping study of the 43 AIDS patients who
participated in the Barbados-based clinical trial. Data from these patients are
being compared with those from a control group. The company believes that if it
is shown that "Product R" interferes with the virus' mutation or resistance to
treatment, this will be confirmation of ADVR's hypothesis that the drug enhances
the efficacy of the HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy) cocktail and
other treatments. The scientists expect to publish results in peer-reviewed
journals when the study is completed.
AIDS CASE STUDIES: ADVR presented case studies of AIDS patients treated with
"Product R" at a recent conference on chemokines and chemokine receptors. Both
patients in this case study presentation were initially unable to tolerate, and
subsequently failed, the AIDS cocktail (HAART). When treated with a combination
of "Product R" and HAART, however, both experienced a dramatic drop in viral
loads, increases in weight and CD4 positive cell counts, and improved quality of
life.
HUMAN PAPILLOMA VIRUS DATA: Advanced Viral Research Institute laboratory
research indicates that "Product R" interferes with the expression of the E7
oncogene of HPV-18. Production of the E7 protein is important in malignant
transformation and development of cervical cancer.
THE ADVANCED VIRAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE:
ADVR's foundation begins with a dedication to scientific research and
cutting-edge innovation. In that spirit, the company created the Advanced Viral
Research Institute to foster individual scientific inquiry and creativity. Here,
a respected team of molecular biologists, immunologists and other scientists
conducts biomedical research in an academically oriented environment. Recent
successes include identifying "Product R's" mechanism of action, which will help
with the company's planned Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the
FDA. The Advanced Viral Research Institute also is developing other PNA-based
therapeutics.
KEY MANAGEMENT:
Shalom Z. Hirschman, M.D., joined Advanced Viral Research Corp., as president
and CEO at the end of 1996, following a 28-year affiliation with The Mt. Sinai
School of Medicine and The Mt. Sinai Hospital. During his tenure, Dr. Hirschman
held several academic positions, including Director of the Division of
Infectious Diseases, Professor of Medicine, and Vice Chairman of the Department
of Medicine.
A graduate of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Dr. Hirschman was an
intern and a resident at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School.
He spent seven years at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. Dr.
Hirschman has been published in many peer-reviewed journals, including THE NEW
ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE, NATURE and SCIENCE. He also founded one of New York
City's first and most active AIDS treatment and research centers.
Alan Gallantar joined the company in 1999 as CFO. Mr. Gallantar brings to ADVR a
comprehensive understanding of the business of science, through extensive
financial management with pharmaceutical firms.
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Copyright (C) 2000 Business Wire. All rights reserved.
-0-
CONTACT: Advanced Viral Research Corp., Yonkers
914-376-7383
KEYWORD: NEW YORK
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: BIOTECHNOLOGY
MEDICAL
PHARMACEUTICAL
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