VaxGen, Inc. Says New HIV-1 Findings Support Its Vaccine Approach.SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO South San Francisco, city (1990 pop. 54,312), San Mateo co., W Calif.; inc. 1908. South San Francisco has several industrial parks; its manufactures include medical supplies and equipment, foods, paint, paper products, consumer goods, and clothing. , Calif. --(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 18, 1998--In response to recent media reports concerning cystallography images of 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. and implications for vaccines against the AIDS-causing virus, VaxGen, Inc. issued the following statement by Phillip W. Berman, VaxGen's chief scientist and Vice President of Research:
"Speculation by scientists, in reaction to the first
cystallography pictures of the HIV envelope protein gp120, that
an AIDS vaccine based on gp120 proteins is unlikely to work is
premature and incorrect. To the contrary, the data, which
indicate that the virus has a two-target strategy, actually
confirm the importance of gp120 in inducing a protective immune
response and, indeed, validate the scientific basis on which
VaxGen has developed its AIDSVAX vaccine. Our vaccine was
specifically designed to address both these targets. VaxGen's
recent finding that antibodies induced by our vaccines neutralize
bothT-cell and macrophage tropic viruses confirms the approach
we have used in developing AIDSVAX and is, indeed, in
agreement with structural data of Dr. Joseph Sodroski, an author
of the new report."
On June 3, 1998, VaxGen announced that it had received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin Phase III clinical trials Noun 1. phase III clinical trial - a large clinical trial of a treatment or drug that in phase I and phase II has been shown to be efficacious with tolerable side effects; after successful conclusion of these clinical trials it will receive formal approval from the in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. of its AIDSVAX vaccine against HIV-1. The U.S. trial, designed to determine the efficacy of the vaccine, is expected to begin this month and will use 5,000 volunteers in North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. . The company also anticipates beginning Phase III Noun 1. phase III - a large clinical trial of a treatment or drug that in phase I and phase II has been shown to be efficacious with tolerable side effects; after successful conclusion of these clinical trials it will receive formal approval from the FDA trial of a separate formulation of AIDSVAX in Thailand later this year, following approval by the Thai Ministry of Health. VaxGen, based in South San Francisco, Ca., is a biotechnology company committed to making an HIV vaccine HIV vaccine AIDS As of mid-2005, there is no viable anti-HIV vaccine. See AIDS. for worldwide use. Additional information is available on our website at: http://www.vaxgen.com/
CONTACT: Sitrick and Company
Donna K.H. Walters 310/788-2850
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