Biotron anti-viral effective against HIV

An anti-viral drug under development by Sydney-based biotechnology company, Biotron (ASX:BIT), has been shown to be effective at stopping the spread of the HIV virus.

The results were presented at the Fourth International Workshop on HIV Persistence During Therapy held in the West Indies.

The drug, BIT225, is a small molecule that targets the HIV-1 vpu gene. Vpu is a well conserved protein that forms a virus ion channel and is involved in the assembly and release of infectious viral particles.

The study cited involved 18 HIV positive patients at Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital. It was found that BIT225 inhibited the replication of the HIV virus by up to 99 per cent in monocyte cells isolated from the infected patients. It also stopped the virus transferring to uninfected T cells.

Biotron is now progressing protocols for a Phase Ib/IIa trial of BIT225 in HIV patients. This trial is in addition to the proposed Phase II trial of the same drug in patients infected with Hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Biotron is trading at 11.5c as of 3.30pm, up 18.5% for the day.