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Hemispherx Biopharma Receives US Patent Office Notification of New Patent

21-Jul-2011 | Source : | Visits : 14920
PHILADELPHIA, PA - Hemispherx Biopharma Inc. announced in a press release the granting of a new United States Patent for the use of Ampligen®[rintatolimod; poly(I)•poly(C12,U)] as a vaccine adjuvant for use with seasonal influenza vaccine to induce an enhanced immune response against H5N1 avian influenza. 

The patent describes a method using intranasal administration of Ampligen®, a toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) agonist, along with a seasonal influenza vaccine to enhance an immune response against a H5N1 avian influenza infection compared to the administration of seasonal influenza vaccine alone. Intranasal vaccination stimulates mucosal immunity which is characterized by a broader, and potentially more effective, immune response. 

Influenza epidemics continue to represent a significant medical challenge. Even with existing vaccines, annual influenza epidemics typically result in 20-50 million cases, resulting in 30,000 to 40,000 deaths in the US alone. A potential pandemic could have even more devastating consequences. The goal of the approach described in Hemispherx’s new patent is to generate protective mucosal immunity against newly emerging and highly pathogenic forms of H5N1 avian influenza viruses. 

FDA authorization of a clinical trial to evaluate the breadth of immunological protection in healthy volunteers, potentially conveyed by Ampligen®, an experimental therapeutic, against influenza viruses has been recently announced.

Hemispherx Biopharma Inc. is an advanced specialty pharmaceutical company engaged in the manufacture and clinical development of new drug entities for treatment of seriously debilitating disorders.
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