HUDDINGE, Sweden, Jan. 21, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Tripep has secured a new patent, granted in the U.S. today. The patent states the discovery that ribavirin can be used to reinforce the immune defence (it functions as an adjuvant) upon vaccination with various virus antigens. The antiviral agent ribavirin has been extant for about 30 years, and is currently used for the oral treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) liver infections or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections of the respiratory tract, applications not encompassed by Tripep's new patent. In the mid-1990s, two research groups, one at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, independently discovered that daily treatment with ribavirin could produce immunomodulatory effects. Continued research resulted in Tripep's researchers discovering that ribavirin can also function as a vaccine adjuvant when administered together with virus antigens. The requirements of this now-approved US patent encompass all compounds of virus antigens and ribavirin. Tripep's scientists are now preparing to publish these findings in scientific journals, and to seek licensees, such as vaccine companies. Tripep is also examining the potential of combining the findings related to this patent with Tripep's ChronVac-C(TM) and CarryVac(TM) vaccines, and those vaccines jointly developed by partly owned enterprise VLP Biotech, of the US.
For more information, please contact:
Anders Vahlne, VP Research, Tripep AB Tel: +46 (0)8 5858 1313, mobile: +46 (0)709 28 05 28 e-mail: anders.vahlne@labmed.ki.se
Tripep is a biotech research company that develops and commercialises candidate drugs based on patent-pending and patented technologies: - research and development of an HIV-inhibiting drug, - preclinical research focusing on the development of therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines against HIV and Hepatitis C, and the RAS (R) technology platform.
More details on Tripep's technologies is available at its Website: www.tripep.se
This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net
The following files are available for download:
http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2004/01/21/20040121BIT00420/wkr0001.doc
http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2004/01/21/20040121BIT00420/wkr0002.pdf