Australian biotechnology company Avexa (ASX: AVX) announced today that apricitabine (ATC) may express a broader range of activity in drug resistant HIV strains beyond the M184V and thymidine analogue mutations (TAMS). ATC is Avexa’s nucleoside reverse transcriptase
inhibitor (NRTI) for the treatment of drug-resistant HIV infections and the Company recently announced positive 21 day data in its Phase IIb trials.
In vitro studies conducted at the McGill AIDS Centre/Lady Davis Institute in Montreal, Canada
examined ATC’s potential to treat mutations commonly associated with several currently
marketed HIV drugs. These studies showed ATC in vitro is active against resistant HIV
selected by currently marketed drugs such as abacavir, didanosine, and non-nucleoside reverse
transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI). The results indicate that ATC may be able to maintain activity
against a broader range of drug resistant mutations than had been initially anticipated,
potentially extending the clinical use of ATC to include patients who fail other HIV drugs as well
as those who fail lamivudine or emtricitabine. Abacavir is often used in combination with
lamivudine, and NNRTI inhibitors are often used together with lamivudine or emtricitabine in first
line therapy.
“The data from these in vitro studies are very encouraging and suggest that ATC might have a
place in the clinical management of patients infected by a number of different drug-resistant
strains” CEO of Avexa Dr Julian Chick said.
Although the M184V mutation, which gives resistance to lamivudine and emtricitabine and is the
focus of Avexa’s recent successful Phase IIb clinical trial, is one of the most common drug
resistant mutations, patients commonly have other drug resistant mutations in addition to
M184V as a result of being treated with at least three different anti-HIV drugs.
“We are very encouraged by this data which serves to further strengthen the positioning of ATC
as the NRTI of choice for the treatment of patients failing their first or subsequent anti-HIV drug
regimens” Dr Chick said.
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