GTG claims progress made in AIDS research

Melbourne company Genetic Technologies (ASX: GTG) has reported that it is making good progress with its AIDS research project.

The project is the basis of GTG's subsidiary company Immunaid, and is focused on investigation of the immune response to retrovirus infection. GTG owns 60 per cent of Immunaid, while the other 40 per cent is held by the scientists responsible for the research.

The research is being performed at the University of Western Australia under the direction of Dr Manfred Beilharz and the Immunaid Technical Review Committee, which includes a number of leading HIV scientists and physicians from around Australia.

"We're looking at a more detailed examination of the body's response during the course of the immune reaction, and the different waves of cellular response," said GTG chairman Dr Mervyn Jacobson.

"The objective of Immunaid is to develop a treatment strategy. We're not focusing on a magic bullet type of therapeutic, but a better understanding of the complex responses that take place in the infective and defensive processes."

Jacobson explained that recent progress using various mouse models including murine AIDS had shown remarkable results.

The Technical Advisory Committee had advised expediting the research to examine responses in other animal models, probably cats, he added. He also said that they hoped to begin human monitoring studies in Perth, Sydney and Melbourne, subject to ethical approval.

Jacobson declined to further elaborate on the results achieved to date as they are still in the preliminary stage of the research.

"We're not willing to release details of the project at the moment for patent reasons. We hope to release more details before the end of the year," said Jacobson.

GTG is also in discussions with a major US company who is interested in supporting and participating the Immunaid project, he said.