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Biotech / Medical : IMNR - Immune Response -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bob Walsh who wrote (1458)	4/25/2000 10:54:00 AM
From: gao seng	Respond to of 1510

GenStar Therapeutics Announces Issuance of Patent for Sensitizing Tumors to Radiation Using Gene Therapy Business Wire - April 25, 2000 09:16 Jump to first matched term SAN DIEGO--(BW HealthWire)--April 25, 2000--GenStar Therapeutics (AMEX: GNT), a biotechnology company developing products for the treatment of hemophilia A and prostate cancer, announced today the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 6,051,218 entitled, "Tumor Radiosensitization Using Gene Therapy." This University of California patent covers a method of inhibiting the growth of a cancerous tumor by delivering the cytokine gene interleukin-3 to sensitize tumors to standard radiation therapy. GenStar exclusively licensed the patent for use in developing a novel treatment for prostate and other cancers. In addition, the patent has been exclusively licensed to The Immune Response Corporation (NASDAQ: IMNR), in Carlsbad, California, for the use in the prevention and treatment of colon cancer, brain tumors and melanoma. "The receipt of this patent enhances GenStar's unique approach to treating prostate cancer via multiple modes of action that includes sensitizing tumors to the effects of standard radiation by gene therapy," said Robert E. Sobol, M.D., President and CEO of GenStar Therapeutics. GenStar's prostate candidate product is a genetically engineered cold virus that has multiple anti-tumor effects. The product has been designed to replicate in and destroy prostate cancer cells and to deliver therapeutic inteleukin-3 genes to the tumor site. Interleukin-3 gene therapy sensitizes tumors to the effects of standard radiation therapy and stimulates anti-tumor immune responses capable of treating metastatic disease. In animal tumor models, a single injection of the adenoviral vector completely eradicated tumors and the combination of interleukin-3 cytokine gene therapy with radiotherapy was curative, resulting in enhanced efficiency of radiation therapy and anti-tumor immune responses. GenStar Therapeutics is a biotechnology company currently developing gene therapy products for the treatment of hemophilia A and prostate cancer. The Company's hemophilia product is being developed in collaboration with Baxter Healthcare and its prostate cancer product development program will be supported in part by a grant from the National Cancer Institute. The Company recently announced the completion of approximately $25 million in equity financings, which will contribute additional financial resources to the development of these products. Except for the historical information contained herein, this press release contains forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties including but not limited to those regarding the gene therapy products. Neither Baxter nor GenStar has entered into any human clinical trials of the gene transfer systems, and the results of any future human clinical trials cannot be predicted. The actual initiation of these clinical trials will be dependent upon a number of factors, including obtaining other regulatory approvals, and finding and enrolling patients in the clinical trials who meet all of the criteria for enrollment. The success of gene therapy in animal models does not guarantee that the same results will be obtained in humans because of several potential risks. These include the risk that side effects may result from the treatments; other risks and uncertainties inherent in the development of gene therapy products; and those risks detailed from time to time in documents filed by GenStar with the SEC, including the report on Form 10-KSB for the year ended December 31, 1999. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update the information contained herein, which speaks only as of this date marketwatch.newsalert.com

To: Bob Walsh who wrote (1458)	6/10/2000 8:04:00 AM
From: Rene Madsen	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1510

Immune Response, Agouron halt trial By Stephanie O'Brien, CBS.MarketWatch.com Last Update: 4:30 PM ET Jun 9, 2000 NewsWatch Latest headlines NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- The Immune Response Corp. and Agouron Pharmaceuticals said Friday they were told that enrollment in a study of the AIDS vaccine Remune has been halted while changes in trial procedure are reviewed. The companies said they were told by the AIDS Clinical Trials Group that enrollment in the 96-week trial, announced in May, has been halted while protocol changes are under review. The ACTG is a cooperative clinical trials group funded by the National Institutes of Health. It evaluates new drugs and drug combinations for the treatment of HIV infection in adults. The study was designed to determine whether vaccine-induced immune responses could help control the HIV virus and whether the intervention could prolong the effectiveness of potent antiretroviral therapy. Specific changes in trial design haven?t been determined yet, said Joy Schmitt, a spokeswoman for Agouron Pharmaceuticals. Factors such as patent population, duration, sample number and size may be subject to change, she said. She said Remune?s safety is not in question. Shares of Immune Response fell 25/32, or 9.2 percent to 7 23/32 in recent trading. Warner-Lambert shares rose 2 15/16 to 123 15/16. The 131 participants already enrolled in the study will continue to be followed under the current version until a new trial plan is developed, the companies said in a statement. Agouron, which was acquired by Warner-Lambert (WLA: news, msgs) in 1999, licensed Remune from Immune Response Corp.(IMNR: news, msgs) in 1998. The vaccine has had shown mixed results in earlier studies. When used in combination therapy, it reduced the HIV virus to undetectable levels with few side effects. In another study, however, Remune showed no significant benefit in preventing HIV. Remune is being studied in several other clinical trials in the U.S., Europe and in Thailand. The National Institutes of Health is currently sponsoring other trials of the vaccine in adults and children. From http://cbs.marketwatch.com/archive/20000609/news/current/imnr.htx?source=blq/yhoo&dist=yhoo