|
|
No doubt the interferons have been a great help in treating virus infection and
some cancers. However, at the wrong place, or the wrong time, excessive interferon
levels can cause a wide range of serious disorders. Scientists and physicians agree
that there is a worldwide unmet need for a safe and effective interferon inhibitor.
There are currently no FDA-approved interferon inhibitors available.
Meiogen has taken the approach to drug discovery that was so successful for antibiotics.
Studying the methods used by microbes led to agents like penicillin that were developed
by evolution over millions of years specifically for the purpose of inhibiting bacterial
growth. Following that lead, we searched the world of viruses whose very existence
depends on their ability to inhibit the human interferon system, and asked - how
did they do it? In terms of useful agents, the answer was our lead compound: Normferon™.
|
|
|
|
Normferon™ is a dual-component injectable consisting of the products of genes cloned
from a virus that is a common component of childhood vaccines. These components
have evolved for the specific purpose of suppressing an immune response and will
be tested first in HIV/AIDS and organ transplant patients where immunosuppression
is already established. Normferon™ is produced using the same procedures that are
being used today to produce many of the recombinant proteins currently approved
by the FDA for patient care.
|
|