short term trading - week starting 25 feb, page-110

Entry or STT list .

BIT FA long

Biotron , biotech sector . Australia . Trialling new type of drug.

AntiHCV/HIV drug BIT225 has successfully shown its action against HCV but faces stiff competition . However they have completed a trial to check the effect of the drug against HIV . Results are due in March .
From the Half yearly today .....


BIT225 is also active against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. In late 2012, Biotron completed the clinical phase of its Phase 1b/2a clinical trial of BIT225 in HIV-infected patients who were anti-retroviral drug treatment naive.
Laboratory analyses on samples collected from the patients are now in progress. Preliminary data from the trial are anticipated to be available during the first quarter of 2013.
Previously reported preclinical efficacy data has indicated that BIT225 is able to inhibit replication of the HIV virus in monocyte lineage cells in which the virus has been able to 'hide' from current drug treatments.
While current approved HIV drugs successfully reduce HIV levels in the blood, they have not been effective in eliminating the virus from underlying reservoirs such as monocyte lineage cells. Treatment and elimination of HIV from reservoirs remains a major therapeutic challenge. The aim of this trial is to demonstrate the safety and pharmacokinetics of the drug in HIV-infected patients and to measure the ability of BIT225 to reduce HIV loads in HIV-infected reservoir cells.
By specifically targeting HIV in reservoir cells, Biotron's BIT225 offers the potential to stop the ongoing cycle of infection in the body. BIT225 is synergistic with commonly used anti-retroviral therapies and would potentially be used in conjunction with these treatments.