HIV Antibody Curbs Virus In Trial Study

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports:

A new medicine to control HIV infection may soon become available, if promising results from a Phase 1 clinical trial are confirmed. The drug is an antibody that neutralizes a broad range of HIV strains. The broadly neutralizing antibody, called VRC01, reduced the level of circulating virus more than 10-fold in 6 of 8 HIV-positive patients who had not received antiviral drugs.

The other two were found to have a strain of HIV resistant to the antibody. And in 15 people whose infection was already suppressed with antiviral therapy, the antibody had no effect. In all 23 patients tested, the antibody was found safe. VRC01 kills about 90 percent of HIV strains. A study on the results was published Wednesday in Science Translational Medicine. Researchers said the results support continued development of the antibody to stop HIV infection or to prevent it from taking place.

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