RNS Number:5447Q
Medical Marketing Int'l Group PLC
5 October 2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                             6 OCTOBER 2003
 

 

                      MMI ANNOUNCES SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS 
                 IN ITS NOVEL HIV/AIDS JOINT VENTURE, VIRATIS
 
      - data measures effectiveness of 'blocking' technology in human cells - 

Medical Marketing International Group plc (MMI) the Cambridge, UK-based
technology management company listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE:MMG) has
today released new information on developments within Viratis. Viratis is the
joint venture company established between MMI, London's King's College (Kings)
and Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL) and which is developing a new and
potential breakthrough treatment for HIV/AIDS. 

Scientists working on Viratis's novel HIV therapy have now been able to take
precise measurements within human blood cells of how effective the new
technology is at blocking the chemical message that would normally enable the
cell to produce receptors needed by the virus to invade. Using a technique known
as quantitative RT- PCR, the scientists have shown that the new ribozyme therapy
destroys at least 70 % of the chemical known as messenger RNA. A ribozyme is an
enzyme which can disrupt the cells chemical messengers that enable the cells to
produce these receptors. The HIV virus needs to attach to two different
receptors to gain entry into the human cell. One receptor is involved in the
early stages of HIV and the other appears to be necessary for the later stages
of the disease when HIV turns into full-blown AIDS. The Viratis ribozyme is
targeted to both these receptors and therefore has application at all stages of
the disease.

The HIV Virus and a patients immune system are in a constant battle and being
able to destroy most of the receptors the HIV virus needs dramatically shifts
the balance in favour of the immune system.

In addition to this confirmation of how well the new therapy works in human
blood cells, the scientists have also shown that they can achieve high rates of
penetration of the new therapy into human cells without causing damage to the
cell membrane that occurs with some other methods. Using proprietary reagents,
penetration levels into cells of 65-70% have been achieved already. This so
called transfection rate compares well with methods for other therapeutic
indications and implies that it will be possible to get enough of the new
medicine into human cells to enable it to block the entry of HIV viruses.

Commenting on today's release, David Best, Chairman of MMI Group said "We are
encouraged by today"s announcement and particularly with the rapid progress made
in conjunction with our partners, Kings and QMUL.  We have now shown just how
effective the Viratis technology is at dealing with the HIV virus in human cells
and already, we can achieve high levels of penetration of the medicine into
those cells without causing damage to them. With this further evidence showing
the potential of ribozyme technology, we are increasingly confident that we can
make rapid progress towards clinical trials."
 

For further information, please contact:


David Best - Executive Chairman
MMI Group                                               Tel: +44 (0) 1223 477677
www.mmigroup.co.uk
 
Lisa Baderoon
Buchanan Communications                                Tel: +44 (0) 20 7466 5000
lisab@buchanan.uk.com
  
 
Notes for Editors

Current WHO data shows that worldwide 42 million people have HIV or AIDS.  Of
these, 29.4 million are in sub-Saharan Africa, 38.6 million are adults and 3.2
million are children under the age of 15.5 million new infections with HIV
occurred in 2002 and 3.1 million people died of AIDS related causes in that
year.  Existing medicines, which aim to prevent virus replication once the HIV
virus has infected the hosts cells, can be effective when used in combination. 
This "triple therapy" slows down the HIV virus multiplication delaying the onset
of full-blown AIDS.  The very recent therapy to be approved, Fuzeon, inhibits
proteins on the surface of the HIV virus to prevent viral entry into the cell.
However the rapidly changing HIV virus can become resistant to the current
treatments.
 

Web links for further information:

www.mmigroup.co.uk
www.kcl.ac.uk
www.qmw.ac.uk
www.who.int/hiv/en/



                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
STRUUGAWUUPWPWA