Subject: New Data on Study Of AIDS Antibody Are Published 
Date: Published: 2/20/92 (54 lines)
Source: Wall Street Journal. Copyright Dow Jones & Co. Inc.

    Technology & Medicine:
    New Data on Study
    Of AIDS Antibody
    Are Published
    ----
    By Jerry E. Bishop
    Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal

    Details of chimpanzee experiments that showed that an AIDS
 virus infection could be prevented by an antibody made by
 Repligen Corp. and Merck & Co. were published in a scientific
 journal.
    The published results of the experiments confirm those
 reported in a talk at an AIDS conference in October.  Shortly
 afterward, Repligen, based in Cambridge, Mass., said it had
 reacquired rights to the antibody from Merck, based in
 Rahway, N. J., apparently as a result of a disagreement
 between the two companies on future development of the
 antibody.  Merck then announced it had agreed to support the
 development of a host of other anti-AIDS antibodies by
 MedImmune Inc., Gaithersburg, Md.
    The antibodies in both efforts are so-called monoclonal
 antibodies, which are test-tube-made versions of the
 antibodies the body makes to fight off virus infections.
 These man-made monoclonal antibodies are designed to attack
 specific proteins on the surface of the human
 immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) that causes AIDS.  
    Each of the several monoclonal antibodies being developed
 by biotechnology companies attack different surface proteins
 of the HIV and the competition is to see which one is most
 effective in preventing or stopping an HIV infection.  The
 antibody that Repligen reacquired from Merck is designed to
 attack a section, called the V3 looped domain of an HIV
 surface protein known as the gp120 protein.
    The new report, published in this week's issue of Nature,
 describes how one chimpanzee was protected from HIV infection
 when the V3 antibody was inoculated one day before exposure
 to the virus.  Another chimpanzee was protected when the
 antibody was administered a few minutes after exposure to the
 virus.
    The researchers said the experiments show that a vaccine
 that could trigger the body to make antibodies against the V3
 loop domain will be protective.  They also said the V3
 monoclonal antibody, itself, might be effective in protecting
 people from HIV infection when given just before or just
 after exposure to the virus.

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