SOMERSET, N.J., July 19, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tamir Biotechnology, Inc. (formerly Alfacell Corporation) (OTCBB:ACEL) announced today that scientists supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) confirmed that testing of three (3) of the company's compounds Onconase® (Ranpirnase), Natural P31, and Recombinant Amphinase 2 showed in vitro results rarely seen before by the U.S. government for the Dengue virus.
In order to determine the effectiveness of a compound, NIAID uses a Selectivity Index (SI). The SI measures EC50 (50% virus-inhibitory (effective) concentration and EC90 (90%) cell inhibitory (cytotoxic) concentration determined in stationary cells. SI= (CC50 ÷ EC90). The SI scores for the three (3) compounds tested for dengue virus range from 110-130. According to the scientists who conducted the testing, rarely have they seen an SI above 10.
"Due to these compelling results, the government has informed us they will be conducting studies in dengue animal models in the near future. This study expands the potential use of our compounds against other viruses and other life threatening diseases with the strong possibility of development of a new class of therapies. We intend to use all resources that are available to us by the government in our pursuit of discovering other viral targets for our compounds. We have only begun to see the effectiveness of our compounds outside the field of oncology. This is truly an exciting time for our company and our loyal shareholders," stated Charles Muniz, Chief Executive Officer of Tamir.
About Dengue Virus
Dengue virus is one of the most significant arthropod-borne viral diseases in the world, globally causing 50-100 million cases of dengue fever per year and tens of thousands of deaths. Dengue is a flu-like viral disease spread by the bite of the Aedes albopictus mosquito (nicknamed "Asian Tiger Mosquito") and Aedes aegypti. Dengue fever usually starts suddenly with high fever, rash, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, and muscle and joint pain.
Dengue fever causes such severe joint and muscle pain that the disease is often referred to as "breakbone fever" because it causes those infected to feel as if their bones were breaking. Dengue fever can progress to dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) which causes blood vessels to leak, bleeding from the nose, mouth, and gums. Without prompt treatment, the blood vessels can collapse, causing shock (dengue shock syndrome) or DSS. The four types of dengue virus, which historically have affected selected tropical and subtropical regions, have been spreading to new geographical areas including the Texas-Mexico border, southern United States, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and thus has become a serious public health threat worldwide.
Last week, scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that an estimated 5 percent of the Key West, Florida population, over 1000 people, showed evidence of recent exposure to dengue virus. The report was prompted after three local cases of dengue were reported in 2009. Soon after, scientists from the CDC and Florida Department of Health conducted a study to estimate the potential exposure of the Key West population to dengue virus. No vaccines or drugs are currently available to treat or prevent dengue infection.
In 2008, Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Director of NIAID stated that Dengue, a disease most Americans have never heard of could soon become more prevalent if the disease continues to expand into temperate climates. Recognizing the threat to public health posed by dengue, NIAID is currently funding 60 research projects, including basic research on dengue, projects to develop vaccines, diagnostics, therapeutics for the disease, and clinical trials.
World Health Organization
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the incidence of dengue has grown dramatically around the world in recent decades. Some 2.5 billion people, two fifths of the world's population are now at risk from dengue. WHO currently estimates there may be 50 million dengue infections worldwide every year. In 2007 alone, there were more than 890,000 reported cases of dengue in the Americas. The disease is now endemic in more than 100 countries around the world.
About NIAID
NIAID is a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) our Nation's Medical Research Agency. NIH is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. NIAID supports basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose, and treat infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, influenza, tuberculosis, malaria, and illness from potential agents of bioterrorism.
About Tamir Biotechnology, Inc.
Tamir Biotechnology, Inc. (formerly Alfacell Corporation) is the first company to advance a biopharmaceutical product candidate that works in a manner similar to RNA interference (RNAi) through late-stage clinical trials. The product candidate, ONCONASE®, is an RNase that overcomes the challenges of targeting RNA for therapeutic purposes while enabling the development of a new class of targeted therapies for cancer, viruses, and other life-threatening diseases. For more information, visit www.tamirbio.com.
Safe Harbor: This press release includes statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements, usually containing the words "believe," "estimate," "project," "expect" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that would cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, uncertainty whether the clinical trial results will allow the company to complete submission of a New Drug Application and if a New Drug Application submission is completed, uncertainty whether FDA will file or approve such application, uncertainties involved in transitioning from concept to product, uncertainties involving the ability of the company to finance research and development activities, potential challenges to or violations of patents, uncertainties regarding the outcome of clinical trials or differences of opinion in interpreting the results of clinical trials, the company's ability to secure necessary approvals from regulatory agencies, dependence upon third-party vendors, and other risks discussed in the company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. By making these forward-looking statements, the company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release.