Strong endorsement from industry leaders
January 28, 2004

 

London-based Viron Therapeutics Inc. has received strong endorsement from two industry leaders in support of their work developing an entirely new class of anti-inflammatory proteins. This endorsement follows very encouraging pre-clinical results that indicate a protein targeted by Viron scientists may work to prevent narrowing of the arteries that lead to heart attacks and reduce inflammation related to transplant surgery.

"Viron's lead anti-inflammatory protein, VT-111 may have the potential to prevent acute inflammation by blocking the migration of immune cells into unstable coronary plaques that often rupture or erode thereby causing heart attacks," says Dr. Paul Armstrong, University of Alberta and newest member of Viron's Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Armstrong is Professor of Medicine and Cardiology at the University of Alberta, Director of the Canadian VIGOUR Centre, and a member of the FDA Cardio-Renal Advisory Committee. He has an extensive experience in the care and evaluation of patients with ACS, and is one of the leading cardiovascular clinical trial investigators in North America. Armstrong has endorsed Viron's Phase II Clinical Trial Plan for the treatment of Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS). "Phase II trials will focus on high risk ACS patients that are most likely to show a measurable effect that could be utilized in future to a large proportion of the approximately 1.4 million patients who develop ACS every year in North America."

Dr. Mark Poznansky, Viron President and CEO, believes that Phase II trials will provide the proof needed to proceed with larger studies. "Endorsements by Dr. Armstrong and Dr. Leslie Miller, Professor and Director of the Cardiovascular and Transplantation Division and Co-Director of the Lillehei Heart Institute at the University of Minnesota, speak to the potential for improved care for heart and transplant patients in the future."

Both Miller and Armstrong agree that VT-111 has the potential to target macrophages and monocytes which are responsible for much of the arterial narrowing that leads to heart attacks.

Viron Therapeutics Inc. is a privately owned biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of novel protein therapeutics for the treatment of human disease.

For further information, please contact: Kevin A. V. Sullivan, B.Sc., M.B.A., Manager, Business Development, (519) 858-5120, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Viron Therapeutics Inc., 700 Collip Circle, Suite 203, London, Ontario N6G 4X8, Canada, www.vironinc.com



Background

In March 2003, Viron Therapeutics announced the completion of its first-in-man study with its lead anti-inflammatory protein, VT-111. This double-blind placebo controlled Phase I clinical trial was conducted in Evansville, Indiana under a company sponsored application (USFDA IND) to the FDA to assess tolerability, safety and pharmacokinetic properties of VT-111.

Viron is a privately owned biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of novel protein therapeutics for the treatment of human disease. Since its inception as a spin-off from Robarts Research Institute in 1997, Viron has brought its lead compound, VT-111, through its Phase I clinical trials, while advancing its pipeline of promising drug candidates.

Viron is currently in negotiations for Series C financing that will fund this upcoming Phase II clinical trial.