Corporate Profile for Advanced Viral Research Corp.

Business & Medical/Health Editors

YONKERS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 16, 2000

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Published Date:            March 16, 2000

Company Name:              Advanced Viral Research Corp.

Address:                   200 Corporate Boulevard South
                           Yonkers, NY 10701

Main Telephone
Number:                    914-376-7383

Chairman and
Chief Executive
Officer:                   Shalom Z. Hirschman, MD

Chief Financial
Officer:                   Alan Gallantar

Investor Relations
Contact:                   Alan Gallantar
                           914-376-7383

Media Relations
Contact:                   Jill Miller or Mike Rosen
                           Bratskeir & Company
                           212-679-2233
                           [e-mail]
                           [e-mail]

Industry:                  Biopharmaceuticals

Trading Symbol/
 Exchange:                 OTCBB: ADVR

Company description:

OVERVIEW:

Advanced Viral Research Corp. (OTCBB: ADVR), 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 to alleviate human suffering and diseases worldwide.

Its flagship experimental drug, "Product R" (Reticulose(TM)), is a non-toxic immunomodulator the company is developing as a broad spectrum antiviral drug. The company believes the drug shows promise for the treatment of viral infections such as AIDS and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes mellitus. "Product R" was formerly referred to by the company as "Substance R."

"Product R" belongs to the chemical class of peptide nucleic acids (PNA), which are stable analogues of genes. Advanced Viral Research Corp. laboratory studies have shown that "Product R" inhibits the production of both the CCR5 and CXCR4 chemokine receptors, the key cellular co-receptors for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). ADVR research also indicates that the drug stimulates the immune system and interferes with viral replication.

The company recently received formal approval to begin human clinical studies of "Product R" in Argentina. Applications for clinical studies in the United States are expected to be delivered to the FDA later this year.

"Product R" is a second-generation therapeutic. Its predecessor was developed in the early 1900s. Using modern medical technology, scientists at The Advanced Viral Research Institute have refined the drug's preparation and pharmaceutical production.

CLINICAL TRIALS & RECENT FINDINGS:

CLINICAL TRIAL DATA: Data from a double-blind study of 43 AIDS patients were presented at the American Society of Microbiology's Annual Meeting in 1998. The presentation was entitled, "Controlled Trial of a New Non-Toxic Drug, Reticulose, in the Treatment of Patients with HIV/AIDS." It included data that revealed that "Product R" can stimulate the immune system to produce increased CD4 positive cells without an accompanying rise in HIV viral load. The patients in the Reticulose test group also gained weight and experienced an improved clinical condition, compared with the control group. The study took place at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University of West Indies School of Medicine in Barbados. The principal investigators were Henry Fraser, M.D., chairman of the department of medicine and clinical pharmacology, and Paul Levett, Ph.D., a microbiologist and former chair of the World Health Organization's Committee on Leptospirosis.

AIDS GENOTYPING STUDY: Currently, a team of research scientists, led by Dr. Paul Levett, is conducting an HIV genotyping study of the 43 AIDS patients who participated in the Barbados-based clinical trial. Data from these patients are being compared with those from a control group. The company believes that if it is shown that "Product R" interferes with the virus' mutation or resistance to treatment, this will be confirmation of ADVR's hypothesis that the drug enhances the efficacy of the HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy) cocktail and other treatments. The scientists expect to publish results in peer-reviewed journals when the study is completed.

AIDS CASE STUDIES: ADVR presented case studies of AIDS patients treated with "Product R" at a recent conference on chemokines and chemokine receptors. Both patients in this case study presentation were initially unable to tolerate, and subsequently failed, the AIDS cocktail (HAART). When treated with a combination of "Product R" and HAART, however, both experienced a dramatic drop in viral loads, increases in weight and CD4 positive cell counts, and improved quality of life.

HUMAN PAPILLOMA VIRUS DATA: Advanced Viral Research Institute laboratory research indicates that "Product R" interferes with the expression of the E7 oncogene of HPV-18. Production of the E7 protein is important in malignant transformation and development of cervical cancer.

THE ADVANCED VIRAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE:

ADVR's foundation begins with a dedication to scientific research and cutting-edge innovation. In that spirit, the company created the Advanced Viral Research Institute to foster individual scientific inquiry and creativity. Here, a respected team of molecular biologists, immunologists and other scientists conducts biomedical research in an academically oriented environment. Recent successes include identifying "Product R's" mechanism of action, which will help with the company's planned Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the FDA. The Advanced Viral Research Institute also is developing other PNA-based therapeutics.

KEY MANAGEMENT:

Shalom Z. Hirschman, M.D., joined Advanced Viral Research Corp., as president and CEO at the end of 1996, following a 28-year affiliation with The Mt. Sinai School of Medicine and The Mt. Sinai Hospital. During his tenure, Dr. Hirschman held several academic positions, including Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases, Professor of Medicine, and Vice Chairman of the Department of Medicine.

A graduate of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Dr. Hirschman was an intern and a resident at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. He spent seven years at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. Dr. Hirschman has been published in many peer-reviewed journals, including THE NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE, NATURE and SCIENCE. He also founded one of New York City's first and most active AIDS treatment and research centers.

Alan Gallantar joined the company in 1999 as CFO. Mr. Gallantar brings to ADVR a comprehensive understanding of the business of science, through extensive financial management with pharmaceutical firms.