Viriom successfully completes clinical safety trial with novel NNRTI, advances to efficacy studies in HIV-infected patients, and to development of HIV microbicide formulation
The Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies (known as Rusnano) in Moscow, along with a yet-to-be announced co-investor, plans to fund the development of up to 15 potential drug molecules that have unique mechanisms of action, taking them from the preclinical development stage through to Phase 2 clinical trials. "We expect that of the 15 compounds, a few will support the investment," says Andrey Ivaschenko, chairman of ChemRar, the Moscow-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology services company that will provide the first five target molecules. Although the investment is not a huge sum, he notes, a compound can be developed to the Phase 2 clinical stage in Russia for $5-10 million.
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Causes
What causes HIV infection / AIDS?
HIV is transmitted via body fluids that contain a large amount of virus. These include blood, semen, vaginal fluid and breast milk.
Methods of transmission with a high risk of infection:
- Unprotected sexual intercourse
- Drug consumption with used injecting equipment
- During pregnancy via the umbilical cord, during birth or during breastfeeding
- Administration of blood and blood products, frequent blood transfusions
Human immunodeficiency viruses replicate mostly in T helper cells. They do this by reprogramming the metabolism of the infected cell in such a way that they replicate, whereas the infected cell perishes. As T helper cells play an important role in the immune response, the infected person’s immune system becomes progressively weaker. Eventually, the immune system collapses, with the result that relatively harmless pathogens can give rise to life-threatening opportunistic infections. These include:
- fungal infections (e.g. candidiasis, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia)
- viral infections (e.g. herpes, cytomegalovirus)
- cancers (e.g. Kaposi’s sarcoma, lymphomas, cervical cancer)