Autologous immunotherapy shown safe, effective.

2002 NOV 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A clinical trial by researchers at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) has shown a new autologous immunotherapy appears to be safe and effective treatment for controlling HIV.

The trial involved 10 HIV infected individuals who were treated over 6 years with an innovative therapy developed by BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. (Nasdaq: BDSI; BDSIW). The treatment is based on the person's own virus and cells and is designed to stimulate a different and stronger immune response to the specific virus subtypes with which they are infected.

At the end of the study, results showed no progression of the disease in any of the participants and all reported an improved quality of life.

Dr. James M. Oleske, Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Professor of Pediatrics at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School and principal investigator of the study, said, "We believe this treatment is successful because it is custom-made and so appears to overcome some of the limitations of other immunotherapeutic approaches to controlling HIV.

"In fact, in combination with drug therapy, this autologous vaccine may lead to more effective control of the infection and better health," said Oleske, who is also director of the Division of Pediatric Pulmonary, Allergy, Immunology & Infectious Diseases at the medical school.

Both Oleske and scientists at BDSI believe that this treatment is the first autologous therapeutic HIV vaccine and is the only therapeutic vaccine candidate with a follow-up of more than 6 years.

"This approach has the potential helping millions of HIV infected people throughout the world," Oleske said. "Although anti-HIV drugs have brought increased health and longer life spans to many, issues such as cost, availability, side effects, patient compliance, and viral resistance are obstacles to their universal long-term application."