Mymetics: preliminary results confirms ability of HIV vaccine candidate to elicit anti-gp41 antibodies

By Lisa Kerner

Charlotte, N.C., June 21 - Mymetics Corp. said preliminary findings from preclinical studies of its HIV-AIDS prophylactic vaccine candidate reveal the presence of anti-gp41 antibodies (IgG and IgA), confirming previous data from rabbit models.

"At the mid-point of our non-human primate trials, we are greatly encouraged by the results, particularly in the ability to trigger protective antibodies against gp41 independently from gp120, another key target in HIV," chief scientific officer Sylvain Fleury said in a company news release.

"Based on the current timeline, we hope to be able to detect the presence of mucosal antibodies by the end of the third quarter, following which we will seek to demonstrate protection against HIV infection in these animal models by the first quarter of 2007."

Mymetics plans to start phase 1 human clinical trials by the end of 2007.

The vaccine candidate combines Mymetics' HIV-1 gp41-derived peptide antigen grafted onto virosomes.

Research has shown that virosome-based vaccine technology effectively elicits protective antibodies in the blood and muscosal tissues in the genital and intestinal tracts, which may prevent viral translocation and infection, the company said.

Located in Nyon, Switzerland, Mymetics develops preventative vaccines for HIV infection.

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