Immtech Compounds Show Promise Against Flavivirus (Hepatitis C and BVDV) And Animal Market Applications
Monday August 11, 2:49 pm ET
VERNON HILLS, Ill., Aug. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Immtech International, Inc. (Amex: IMM - News) announced today publication of scientific data describing the activity of aromatic cationic molecules against the Bovine Diarrhea Virus ("BVDV"). BVDV is an RNA Flavivirus genus commonly found in cows, and is similar to both the human hepatitis C virus and the virus that causes West Nile infections.
In the paper, published in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, July 2003, Volume 47, entitled "Detection of Inhibition of Bovine Diarrhea Virus by Aromatic Cationic Molecules," the lead authors, Daniel Givens, (Auburn University) and David Boykin, (Georgia State University) present data on the activity of compounds screened in an assay that evaluates the total life cycle of viral propagation. The scientists identified five Immtech compounds demonstrating exceptional efficacy, inhibiting propagation of the BVDV virus at low (nanomolar) concentrations with low toxicity. Such activity makes these compounds excellent candidates for advanced testing against the hepatitis C virus.
Stephen Thompson, President & CEO of Immtech said, "The results observed by our scientists demonstrate the promise of cationic molecules as anti-viral agents and possibly against hepatitis C. We believe that there is an advantage in having a reliable assay system that evaluates the complete viral life cycle for screening compounds for anti-hepatitis C activity. We are using the information generated from these studies to further evaluate specific cationic compounds for anti-hepatitis C activity."
While the exact mechanism by which these compounds exert anti-viral activity is unknown, their known capacity to interact with nucleic acids and inhibit proteases suggests multiple modes for anti-viral activity.
Potential outcomes from this research include developing a drug to treat Bovine Diarrhea Virus infections in calves and preventing viral contamination of embryos during in vitro fertilization, placing Immtech in the multi-billion dollar animal health market. One of the lead candidates has advanced into research using bovine embryos to determine if the compound could prevent BVDV contamination of the embryos during in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (BVDV infections are a common cause of abortion in cows). The study demonstrated that the compound was safe to use during in vitro fertilization and that embryos developed after transfer resulted in the birth of normal calves. The successful elimination of BVDV from embryos implanted in cows can greatly reduce the abortion rate of calves during the in vitro fertilization process. This market can potentially be very profitable because in vitro fertilization is the most common method used to impregnate cows. This BVDV research was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Immtech International, Inc. is a pharmaceutical company focused on the commercialization of oral treatments for infectious diseases such as pneumonia, fungal infections, malaria, tuberculosis, hepatitis and tropical diseases such as African sleeping sickness and Leishmania. The Company has worldwide, exclusive rights to commercialize a dicationic pharmaceutical platform from which a pipeline of products may be developed to target global markets. For further information, please email news@immtech.biz, visit www.immtech.biz, or call F. C. Thompson (877-898-8038).
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding Immtech International, Inc.'s business which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.
CONTACT: F. C. Thompson: 877-898-8038 |
