PB, I read that article last week in Bioworld, & researchers have being trying to use it to generate antibodies in mice. I tried twice without much success, good for Vical/MRK.
If *therapeutic* vaccine means prevention of disease progression besides of against the establishment of infection, I think that it is going do just that.
BTW, T-cell *therapeutics* using UT-R is not so sound in that it use a antibody against gp41 to 'bridge' CTL with infected-CD4+. If this antibody is so great (gp40 mutations, same old story), it is an instant drug on its own. No need for a complicated procedure, because infected-CD4+ recognized by this antibody will be destroyed by 'complement' mechanisms.
One more thing, I went to AGPH's hmtl, & found out that they have several other similar PI programs that are very impressive, esp., CMV & HCV. Judging from its success in HIV-PI, AGPH might do better than anybody else. Both indications are 'big-ticket' items.
Please forgive my ignorance. Viracept has an IC50=20 ppM, extremely potent. The only other drug I know of that is close to this potency is taxol. But why clinical dosage is 1 g? Is it because of its poor pharm profile (low absorption/penetration, high metabolite rate, etc., i.e., short half life in the body)? Has AGPH been doning something about it? As I understand that this compound is a 'peptide-minic', difficult to synthesis. Any attempt to make it smaller/better to cut down the cost?
regards |
