PRO-140 Progenies

PRO-140, a monoclonal antibody against the HIV coreceptor CCR5, is under investigation by Progenies and the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center (ADARC) as a potetitial treatment for HIV infection [211441], [286246], [286247]. Pliase I/II trials were expected to commence during 2001 [395621], [409142], despite being initially planned for 2000 [322637], [361819], [365216], [375598], [408483]. In January 1998, ADARC and Progenies reported that the HIV binding site on the CCR5 coreceptor is distinct from betachemokine binding domains, îvhich they claimed may allow for the development of therapeutics with fewer side effects [273391], [421256]. In vitro studies have shown PRO-140 potently blocked all of 17 primary HIV isolates that use CCR5 as a fusion coreceptor [342173]. In October 2000, Progenies was awarded an SB1R grant to fund a 2-year project exploring the breadth, potency and durability of PRO-140 therapy in laboratory and animal models of HIV infection. This project ivas a collaboration betiveen Progenies, Weill Medical College of Cornell University and the Scripps Research Institute [385982]. In May 1999, the company altered into an agreement itrith Protein Design Labs (PDL) for the humanization by PDL of PRO-140 [325445]. In November 1997, Progenies was awarded a $600,000 grant from the NIAIDfor the examination of new approaches to HIV vaccine design based on CCR5 [268407].