Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2000. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2000. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Reuters NewMedia - Tuesday October 31, 2000
In earlier testing, HIV-1 Immunogen, made under the brand name Remune by Carlsbad, California-based Immune Response Corp. (NasdaqNM:IMNR - news), had shown promise by increasing the supply of immune system CD4 cells that are targeted by the virus.
But study monitors halted the study last year, several months before the scheduled end of the largest-ever trial with Remune, because the drug failed to slow the disease's progress.
"They recommended that the study, in fact, be halted, and that the patients released from the study so they could find other ways to receive treatment," said study author James Kahn of the University of California at San Francisco. HIV-1 Immunogen, a so-called therapeutic vaccine, is an inactive form of an AIDS virus stripped of its protein envelope.
The report was published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association.
Three-quarters of the 2,527 men participating in the study also were receiving some type of antiretroviral therapy, a cocktail of drugs proven to stave off the immune system breakdown that is the signature of AIDS.
Half the subjects received HIV-1 Immunogen, while the other half took a placebo. Over the three years of the study, 23 subjects taking the drug died, while 19 taking the harmless placebo died.
The hope of the researchers was that the drug would stimulate the immune systems of people already infected with the virus, according to the study.
"Oftentimes the immune system becomes lax in its ability to mount an effective immune response to control the virus," Kahn said. "Therefore, if you were to give it small amounts of HIV proteins, you would either reawaken or restimulate the immune system, so that it's able to mount a more effective response in controlling the person's native viral infection."
Kahn said that other promising medications may provide the needed boost to the immune system that is ultimately destroyed by AIDS.
001031
RE001024
Copyright © 2000 - Reuters, Ltd. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Contact Reuters.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2000. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2000. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .