IDC's Virotech Unit Secures Favorable Test Results With Anti- HIV Drug

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1993. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

IDC's Virotech Unit Secures Favorable Test Results With Anti- HIV Drug

PR Newswire (10/27/93)

Minneapolis--Virotech, Inc., a subsidiary of IDC Holdings, Ltd., announced that one of its anti-HIV compounds achieved significant viral reduction at low concentrations with negligible toxicity to healthy cells. Virotech scientists initially theorized that the compound would inhibit viral activity within the form of the body's own defense cells known as macrophages. When tested independently for HIV, however, researchers discovered that this new drug was active not only against macrophages, but against lymphocytes as well. Richard D. Rotondo, vice president of research for Virotech, said that he is unaware of another drug that accomplishes that feat. Rotondo also offered Virotech's speculations as to how the drug works. "One theory is that this compound inhibits viral activity by altering the structural replication process of the HIV virus. It may be that, in the process of viral replication, this drug binds to one or more HIV viral-specific enzymes throughout the life cycle of the virus. Accordingly, the enzymes necessary for replication are rendered inactive," he explained. "Several other theoretical modes of action could also be possible, including prophylactic effects with binding on the cell surface that inhibits the binding and inclusion of the viral particle."

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