Advanced Viral Research Corp. Presents Research At the HIV DART 2000 Conference.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

YONKERS, N.Y.--(BW HealthWire)--Dec. 20, 2000

Company Also Announces Publication of Research Describing Product

R Inhibition of HIV Co-Receptors in Peer-Reviewed Journal

Advanced Viral Research Corp. (OTCBB: ADVR) today announced that scientists from the Advanced Viral Research Institute are presenting research entitled "Use of Product R, a Peptide Nucleic Acid Immunomodulator, in the Treatment of AIDS" at the HIV DART 2000 conference now taking place from December 17 - 21 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The company also announced the publication, in a peer-reviewed journal, of a research paper by scientists from The Advanced Viral Research Institute, showing that in cell cultures Product R appears to lower the number of HIV co-receptors, CCR5 and CXCR4, on target cells. This paper, entitled "CXCR4 and CCR5 Expression by H9 T-cells is Downregulated by a Peptide-Nucleic Acid Immunomodulator," was published in the November 2000 issue of Immunology Letters (Volume 74, Issue 3, pp. 189 - 195).

The research presented at HIV DART 2000, preliminarily in an open study, suggests that the company's flagship drug, Product R, may have clinical efficacy in the therapy of HIV-1 infected patients, both by stimulating immune attack against virally infected cells and by down-regulating viral co-receptors on target T-cells. Furthermore, Product R appears to mitigate the toxicity of nucleoside analogs and protease inhibitor type drugs used to treat AIDS, thereby improving patient compliance and quality of life.

"We are gratified by both the opportunity to present some of our scientific data at an AIDS conference such as HIV Dart 2000 and the acceptance of our scientific research in peer-reviewed journals. Our scientists continue to develop the body of knowledge describing the molecular pharmacology and immunology of Product R," said Shalom Z. Hirschman, MD, president and CEO of Advanced Viral Research Corp.

Product R is a peptide nucleic acid-type immunomodulator that, in both clinical and laboratory studies, has been shown to stimulate the pro-inflammatory responses required to combat viral infections such as AIDS and human papilloma virus, and to dampen aberrant autoimmune-type inflammatory responses, such as occur in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore, Product R has been termed a "switch-type" immunomodulator.

About HIV DART 2000

The focus of HIV DART 2000 is to assemble clinicians, researchers and basic scientists together to advance knowledge of the ongoing drug development processes in antiretroviral research. HIV DART 2000 blends the areas of biology, chemistry, pharmacology and clinical research to provide the scientific community an increased understanding of the current and future challenges in therapeutics for HIV infection.

About Advanced Viral Research Corp.

Advanced Viral Research Corp., based in Yonkers, New York, is a biopharmaceutical firm committed to researching, developing and bringing to market new, effective therapies for viral and other diseases, which will lead to the alleviation of human suffering and diseases worldwide. Its flagship drug, Product R, is a non-toxic peptide nucleic acid immunomodulator that has been shown to have beneficial therapeutic effects against viral diseases such as AIDS and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.

Note: This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks associated with clinical development, regulatory approvals (including application to the FDA), product commercialization, risks associated with the conditions precedent to the equity line of credit not being satisfied, and other risks described from time to time in the SEC reports filed by ADVR. Product R is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or any comparable agencies of any other countries.