Antibody Treatment For HIV

Date: Apr-18-2013Data on SEEK's Novel Immunotherapy for HIV Published in Virology Journal

SEEK, a privately-owned UK drug discovery group, announces that pre-clinical results
on its HIV immunotherapy have been published in the peer-reviewed journal Virology
Journal.

SEEK's HIV immunotherapy triggers the immune system's cellular and antibody responses
to selectively identify and kill HIV infected cells. The most exciting aspect of this
therapy is that it directs the immune system towards short highly conserved regions of
proteins produced by most circulating HIV strains. The triggered immune responses are
highly effective both independently and in combination.

This opens up developing the antibody response into a monoclonal based therapy for
treating HIV.

Monoclonal antibodies have revolutionised the treatment of cancer by improving
outcomes and survival. In HIV/AIDS there is new interest in these products, as shown by
the recent work of Duke University (USA) in developing a monoclonal antibody that prevents
the virus from infecting cells. A monoclonal antibody capable of killing HIV-infected
cells (potentially curative effect) would represent a radical new development in HIV
therapy, which to this day relies on slowing down the virus rate of growth rather than in
killing the cells that harbour it.

By targeting a HIV component that is found only in infected cells and never in healthy
cells, such monoclonal antibody therapy offers the potential of high specificity, reduced
frequency of administration and minimal side-effects. This would represent a significant
improvement over current anti-HIV drugs which require daily treatment and are associated
with significant side effects.

Commenting on today's announcement, Gregory Stoloff, CEO of SEEK Group, said: "It is
very exciting to be at the forefront of this new approach which opens up HIV therapy to
established and available antibody technology."

In July 2011, SEEK announced the results of a Phase Ib/II study in humans which demonstrated that HIV immunotherapy showed a one log(approx 90 percent) difference in viral count in HIV-infected people compared with the
placebo group, after just a single administration.
Courtesy: Medical News Today Note: Any medical information available in this news section is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional.