Immune Network Research Ltd -
Second Phase 1F7 mAb Injection in Primate Model
Immune Network Research Ltd IMMShares issued 199704521998-04-13 close $0.07Tuesday Apr 14 1998VANCOUVER, B.C. (April 14, 1998) - Six SHIV-infected macaque monkeys selected and tested over the past few weeks have been injected with the Company's monoclonal antibody 1F7 under approved protocols for this second phase research on the use of mAb 1F7 in a macaque model for HIV disease. The study is evaluating the effectiveness of 1F7 mAb as an adjuvant or therapeutic for human infection related to the AIDS virus. The macaques have been screened for T lymphocyte subsets, viral load and immunological parameters related to mAb 1F7. This research is funded under a strategic partnership between the Company and Immpheron, Inc., of Lexington, KY, to continue research and development following earlier promising findings in the effectiveness of mAb 1F7. The encouraging results of the Company's previous study leading to this live animal study on mAb 1F7 were published in the prestigious "Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA" (PNAS Vol. 95 pp. 276-281, January 6, 1998). The complete paper can be found through links on the research page of the Company's web site stockgroup.com. A series of five injections are scheduled through the end of April. The research team is monitoring changes to the immune system response by taking blood samples and biopsies. A positive effect on disease progression is anticipated based on the beneficial immune system responses noted in the first macaque study. In that study, mAb 1F7 injection increased the breadth and potency of virus neutralizing antibodies in all three monkeys chronically infected with SHIV-IIIB. No such changes occurred in a SHIV-IIIB-infected monkey with an isotype control antibody. The SHIV injected macaques will be monitored for several months to test whether macaques which have already developed retrovirus-induced immunodeficiency may benefit from mAb 1F7 in respect of lower viral load, lymphocyte subset normalization, or longer disease free survival. These findings would confirm that administration of mAb 1F7 promotes restoration of an already impaired immune system in a recognized primate model for HIV disease. The Principal Investigator for this study, Dr. Sybille Mller, has indicated that this research on the therapeutic effects of mAb 1F7 on viral load, CD4 and T-cell count in these SHIV 89.6P infected macaques is a critical step towards applying for human clinical trials. The study is under the direction of Drs. Sybille Mller and Heinz K”hler, of Immpheron, Inc. in collaboration with scientists at the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center, located in Beaverton, Oregon.
Victor J. E. Jones
President
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Immune Network Research Ltd.
900 - 475 Howe Street
Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6C 2B3
Tel (604) 689-3923; Fax (604) 684-5854
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