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news.Isis Pharmaceuticals has granted an exclusive worldwide license to ImQuest Pharmaceuticals for the development and commercialization of ISIS 5320, a compound that has been shown in vitro and in vivo to be a potent and specific inhibitor of HIV.
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ImQuest plans to develop ISIS 5320 as a topical microbicide therapy to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV throughout the world, but especially in developing countries.
As part of the agreement, ImQuest Pharmaceuticals will have sole responsibility for clinical development and commercialization of the drug and will pay Isis royalties on product sales. Further financial details of the deal have nor been disclosed by the companies.
ISIS 5320, a phosphorothioate oligonucleotide, specifically and potently inhibits the attachment of HIV to target cells by interfering with the interaction of the HIV receptor gp120 with CD4 on target cells.
The safety of ISIS 5320 has been demonstrated in human clinical trials as a therapeutic treatment for systemic HIV infection. As such, ImQuest projects that the time to develop the agent as a microbicide will be significantly shortened, allowing the microbicide to enter human clinical trials in early 2007.
ImQuest is also exploring the use of ISIS 5320 in combination with other microbicide products in their drug portfolio. ImQuest said that it expects to file an investigational new drug application with the FDA in the fourth quarter of 2006.