EU project launches clinical trials in HIV prevention
An EU funded project seeking to develop new microbicides to prevent HIV infection has announced the launch of phase one clinical trials. The European Microbicides Project (EMPRO) will test the safety of the formulation on a group of 46 women from the UK. One-third will be treated with a high-dose of antibodies, one-third with a low-dose of antibodies and the remaining one-third with a placebo. The three monoclonal antibodies (C2F5, C2G12 and C4E10), developed by Polymun, one of the 24 partners in the project consortium, contain molecules that can block the virus' ability to attach itself to the genital mucosal surfaces. For the clinical trials, the antibodies will be formulated in a gel as topically applied microbicides. 'The antibodies developed by Polymun are widely used by the scientific community for research and described in many publications. In addition their unique neutralization properties, consistent quality, high purity and absence of protein additives make them valuable tools in obtaining more reliable research results,' explained Professor Charles Kelly, EMPRO project coordinator. 'That's why we have high hopes for the results of the phase one clinical trial and that it will prove the first step in the speedy development of an effective formulation,' he added. The antibodies have been designed to guide the immune system's defences towards their target by directly eliminating invading agents such as those found in mucosal surfaces and neutralising infectious agents by blocking essential steps in the infective process. The antibodies can also activate sterilisation immune functions for example via the complement system or cytotoxic cells. The European Microbicides Project (EMPRO) was launched in 2004 and will run for five years. It brings together 24 institutions from Europe and developing countries, under the coordination of King's College London in the UK. The initiative is being funded under the 'life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health' priority of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6).
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