Hemispherx Biopharma Signs Research Agreement with Japanese National Institute of Infectious Disease
Ampligen® sought as adjuvant for nasal flu vaccine
Philadelphia, PA, Monday, October 03, 2005: Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc (AMEX: HEB) has signed a research agreement with the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, in Tokyo, Japan. The collaboration, by Hideki Hasegawa, M.D., Ph.D., Chief of the Laboratory of Infectious Disease Pathology, will assess Hemispherx’ experimental therapeutic Ampligen® as an adjuvant to the Institution’s nasal flu vaccine.
In a recent published study in the Journal of Virology (March 2005, p. 2910-2919), Dr. Hasegawa and colleagues found that double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), such as Ampligen®, increases the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine by more than 300% and Ampligen® may also convey cross-protection ability against variant viruses (mutated strains of influenza virus).
New data from preclinical studies on dsRNA, including Ampligen® supports the role of dsRNA therapeutics in improving the efficacy of the present standards of care in both influenza prevention and treatment of acute disease. |
