International AIDS Publication Profiles Recently
Initiated Israeli Clinical Trials
YONKERS, N.Y., Dec. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Advanced Viral Research
Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: ADVR) today announced that the potential for
Company's Product R as treatment for AIDS was the subject of a recent article
in A&U Magazine. This global publication is devoted to collecting, archiving,
publishing and distributing the growing body of art, activism, and current
events emanating from the AIDS pandemic. The interview with President & CEO
Shalom Z. Hirschman, M.D., titled "Adding Another 'R' to HAART", describes the
developmental progress of Product R and recently initiated Israeli clinical
studies.
"Initial excitement about the potential of Product R as an anti-HIV
medication came about when it was shown to inhibit HIV in cell cultures as
well as stimulate proinflammatory chemokines, small proteins produced by the
immune system cells in response to viral, among other infections," Dr. Shalom
Z. Hirschman, President and CEO of ADVR told the publication.
The A&U story noted that the potential of Product R was evident in the
results of a clinical study, published in the July/August 2002 issue of HIV
Clinical Trials. In this trial, 43 antiretroviral naive patients were studied,
21 of whom received Product R through subcutaneous injection. "Even with this
small study, in a short-term, the statistical power of the rise in CD4 cell
counts and the rise in weight in the treated patients was really remarkable,"
said Dr. Hirschman. "There were also trends toward rises in the CD8 counts
and the lowering of the viral loads."
The article noted that the Israeli trials, which are now underway, will
look at "Product R's treatment and reversal of body wasting, and, more
significantly, as a salvage therapy for patients who have not benefited from
or cannot tolerate HAART." The story went on to note that the Company "would
like to see Product R become one of the 'anchor' drugs in HIV/AIDS treatment,
enabling patients to tolerate HAART longer and improve their quality of life."
On November 14th, the Company announced that it had initiated the single-
dose safety study which is the first phase of three Product R clinical trials
in Israel. The three clinical trials include:
* a Phase I/II clinical trial with injectable Product R in cachectic
patients who have failed highly active antiretroviral therapy and
require salvage therapy;
* a Phase I clinical study for the treatment of body wasting (cachexia)
in patients with solid tumors; and
* a Phase I clinical trial for cachectic patients with hematopoietic and
lymphoid tumors, including acute lymphocytic leukemia, Hodgkin's
disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
As the Company noted in announcing the initiation of the trials, "ADVR
continues to make significant progress in the development of Product R. We
plan to build on these clinical trials so as to increase the potential
clinical applications of Product R as an innovative and safe therapeutic agent
and we remain committed to developing Product R as efficiently as possible for
the treatment of diseases that represent potentially significant market
opportunities."
Additional information about the Israeli clinical trials is available in
the President's Progress Report for December 2002, posted on the Company's web
site at http://www.adviral.com.
Advanced Viral Research Corp., based in Yonkers, New York, is a
biopharmaceutical firm dedicated to improving patients' lives by researching,
developing and bringing to market new and effective therapies for viral and
other diseases.
Access to the A&U website and the text of the study are available at
http://www.aumag.org.
Note: This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve
risks associated with clinical development, regulatory approvals, including
application to the FDA, product commercialization and other risks described
from time to time in the SEC reports filed by the Company. Product R is not
approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or any comparable agencies
of any other countries. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to
secure the financing necessary to continue and/or complete the clinical trials
of Product R or satisfy certain other conditions relating to clinical trials
including obtaining adequate insurance on terms acceptable to the Company. The
Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained
in this announcement whether as a result of new information, future events or
circumstances or otherwise.
Contact: Charles Mayr
Mayr Communications Inc
877-777-6010
mayrcomm@att.net
SOURCE Advanced Viral Research Corporation
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Related links:
http://www.adviral.com
CONTACT:
Charles Mayr, Mayr Communications Inc,
1-877-777-6010, mayrcomm@att.net, for Advanced Viral Research
Corp.
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