CARLSBAD, Calif., Feb. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
The Immune Response Corporation (Nasdaq: IMNR) announced today that data
presented at the Ninth Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections
in Seattle on February 25, 2002 suggest that the Company's envelope depleted
killed HIV-1 virus when combined with an adjuvant consisting of
immunostimulatory CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) given intranasally to female
mice, does induce potent immune responses in mice capable of protection
against intravaginal virus challenge.
Dr. Kenneth L. Rosenthal, principal study investigator and Professor of
Pathology at the Centre for Gene Therapeutics at McMaster University Health
Sciences Center in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, presented the data from the
study. Female mice immunized intranasally with the Company's HIV-1 antigen
plus CpG ODN immune stimulant had significantly enhanced levels of anti-p24
IgA antibodies in serum and vaginal washes. Productions of IFN-gamma and
lymphocyte proliferation were also significantly increased in the same group
of animals. Furthermore, Beta-chemokines, which are known to inhibit the use
of the CCR5 co-receptor by HIV, were also significantly higher in mice
immunized with HIV-1 antigen plus CpG ODN. Most importantly, the intranasal
immunization provided protection (93% reduction in virus titer compared to
non-immunized animals) against intravaginal challenge with recombinant
vaccinia virus expressing HIV-1 gag.
"We are encouraged by this data and believe that further investigation of
the use of our envelope depleted whole killed HIV-1 antigen in combination
with CpG ODN could pave the way for the development of an easily administered
preventative HIV-1 vaccine which may produce protection against HIV
infection," said Dennis J. Carlo, Ph.D., President & CEO of The Immune
Response Corporation.
The Immune Response Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company based in
Carlsbad, California, developing immune-based therapies to induce specific
T-cell responses for the treatment of HIV, autoimmune diseases and cancer. In
addition, the Company is developing a targeted non-viral delivery technology
for gene therapy, which is designed to enable the delivery of genes directly
to the liver via intravenous injection.
NOTE: Company information can also be located on the Internet Web site:
http://www.imnr.com
This news release contains forward-looking statements. Actual results
could vary materially from those expected due to a variety of risk factors,
including, but not limited to, whether clinical trials will be successfully
concluded and whether REMUNE(R) will be approved for marketing or be
successfully commercialized. Those factors are discussed more thoroughly in
The Immune Response Corporation's SEC filings, including but not limited to
its report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000 and subsequent
Forms 10-Q. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the
result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements, which may be made
to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the
occurrence of unanticipated events.
REMUNE(R) is a registered trademark of The Immune Response Corporation.
SOURCE The Immune Response Corporation
 back to top
Related links:
http://www.imnr.com
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/434675.html
CONTACT:
Investors, Kathy Lane of The Immune Response
Corporation, +1-760-771-2236
|
