Biotech company CytoDyn Inc is saying that in just a few years, a self-injectable antibody may be on the market to help limit the spread of HIV and AIDS.

 

The company is behind PRO 140 and are claiming the therapy has a 98% success rate in a Phase 2b clinical trial for patients with HIV. Some HIV patients using PRO 140 are experiencing a completely suppressed viral load for 11 months. PRO 140 is now scheduled for Phase 3 trials.

 

The science behind PRO 140 is that it blocks the HIV co-receptor CCR5 on T-cells, which essentially blocks viral entry. This, in turn, reduces viral loads with one dose per week. If the HIV patient’s viral load is completely suppressed, the transmission rate becomes almost zero.

 

"Results from six Phase 1 and Phase 2 human clinical trials have shown that PRO 140 can significantly reduce viral load in people infected with HIV," argued Dr. Nader Pourhassan, CytoDyn Inc. President/CEO, "Our Phase 3 protocol provides for an upcoming 25-week study with 300 HIV-positive patients. Selection of clinical sites, IRB approvals, patient screening, and other administrative matters are underway and expected to be completed in time for the first patient to be dosed in the third quarter of this year."

 

Of course, these are claims being made by the company which is currently looking to make the product commercially available. The final product will need to work successfully in independent studies, receive approval from the FDA, and be cost effective for your average user before we know if this is the breakthrough it promises to be.