Cytel awarded grant to develop Theradigm technology for testing in a primate model of AIDS.SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 21, 1996--Cytel Corporation (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on :CYTL) announced today that it has been awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR SBIR Small Business Innovation Research (program/grant) SBIR Space Based Infra-Red SBIR Speaker-Boundary Interference SBIR Site Backsurface-referenced Ideal Plane/Range (silicon wafers) ) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH "Not invented here." See digispeak. NIH - The United States National Institutes of Health. ) through the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID NIAID National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. ). In collaboration with Dr. David Watkins at the University of Wisconsin, Cytel will develop a vaccine using its Theradigm(TM) technology to be used in a primate model of AIDS. Cytel's Theradigm technology is designed to stimulate a disease- specific immune response immune response n. An integrated bodily response to an antigen, especially one mediated by lymphocytes and involving recognition of antigens by specific antibodies or previously sensitized lymphocytes. . This technology consists of two important elements -- antigenic peptides (small fragments of protein which stimulate the immune response) and a delivery system. By combining disease-specific antigenic peptides with the proprietary Theradigm delivery vehicle, Cytel's modular technology provides a platform for the development of multiple therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines. Under this Phase I grant, the Company will utilize its technology to define and manufacture a prophylactic vaccine appropriate for use in studying the prevention of simian immunodeficiency virus Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) is a retrovirus that is found, in numerous strains, in primates; the specific strains infecting humans are HIV-1 and HIV-2, the viruses that cause AIDS. The origin of HIV is now generally attributed to SIV from African primates. (SIV SIV simian immunodeficiency virus. ) infection, a primate model for HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. infection in humans. This prophylactic vaccine could then be tested for prevention of SIV infection in monkeys under a Phase II SBIR grant. This would be the first opportunity for the Company to test the Theradigm technology in a prophylactic setting relevant to human disease. Efficacy data in this model would support peptide-based, prophylactic vaccine trials for HIV. Currently, the Company performs research under six grant awards from the National Institutes of Health, including a Strategic Programs for Innovative Research on AIDS Treatment (SPIRAT) grant in which a therapeutic vaccine therapeutic vaccine Immunology A vaccine–eg, Salk's Remune™ intended to treat a viral infection by stimulating the immune system. See Vaccine therapy. will be evaluated in patients with HIV infection. Cytel Corporation is a leader in the discovery, design and development of immunotherapeutics, a class of drugs which the Company believes will be more selective and have fewer side effects than drugs currently on the market. Cytel's core technology platforms consist of the Immune Stimulation Program under which the Company is developing therapeutic vaccines for infectious diseases and cancers, the Immune Suppression Program which is based on anti-inflammatory cell adhesion inhibitors, and Glycotechnology -- its proprietary enzymatic synthesis technology enabling the manufacture of large quantities of complex carbohydrates at commercially viable prices. Except for the historical information contained herein, this discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those discussed in this press release. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, successful and timely clinical development of products and the ability to manufacture those products cost effectively, as well as those discussed in the Company's most recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Qs. CONTACT: Cytel Corporation, San Diego Beth Kriegel, 619/552-3000 |
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