Early Diagnosis and Treatment for HIV Has Life-Saving Impact on Patients

Online, June 21, 2010 (Newswire.com) - The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimate that 21% of the more than one million individuals living with HIV/AIDS in the United States are unaware that they have HIV infection. Since 1995, National HIV Testing Day has united organizations across the nation every June 27th to promote the early diagnosis of HIV. Being tested for HIV is one of the most important steps any individual can take to protect his or her health as well as the health of loved ones. Detecting HIV at any stage allows an individual to benefit from remarkable advances in treatment. Detecting and treating HIV early, before it has caused widespread immune system damage, may decrease death by up to 80%. In addition, new data show that persons who are on effective HIV treatment are less likely to transmit HIV to others.

Persons who find that they have HIV may also be eligible to participate in clinical trials of new treatments for the infection. Treatment research usually means testing promising new drugs; however, a new concept includes using a vaccine to boost the body's ability to control HIV as an adjunct to drug therapy. One such study is starting now at the AIDS Research Consortium of Atlanta (ARCA). ARCA is enrolling patients for the first therapeutic trial of a promising HIV vaccine candidate developed by GeoVax, an Atlanta biotechnology company specializing in the creation and evaluation of HIV vaccines. GeoVax vaccines are now being studied in HIV prevention. However, this study looks at whether the vaccines are safe and may have the potential to assist in the control of HIV in persons who are recently infected. ARCA is the only site for the trial.

To be eligible for the ARCA study, individuals should have initially tested negative for HIV but then tested positive in the ensuing six months, and they should have started taking drugs to fight HIV within six months of being diagnosed. Participants need to be on successful anti-HIV treatment to join the study. A vaccine that enhances the body's ability to control HIV and delays or decreases the dependence on anti-HIV drugs would be a major breakthrough for HIV treatment.

The study will last up to 77 weeks. All patients will be monitored closely for safety and for the ability of the vaccine to elicit protective immune responses. Patients will be compensated for their participation in the study. Only 10 to 12 individuals will be selected to participate. Those who believe they may qualify for the study should contact ARCA at [email protected] or 404-876-2317. ARCA is also interested in identifying possible candidates who fit the enrollment criteria but have not yet started anti-HIV drugs.

ARCA worked together with GeoVax to design the protocol for the Phase 1 clinical trial. The optimism associated with this trial is based on the achievement of excellent post-vaccine viral control in animal studies conducted in recently infected non-human primates at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, affiliated with Emory University.

About the AIDS Research Consortium of Atlanta

ARCA is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit clinical research, testing, outreach and educational organization founded in 1988. ARCA works through a network of more than 50 physicians and 5 public health clinics to conduct clinical drug and vaccine trials and prevention research studies. ARCA also provides patient and care-provider educational programs, free sexual transmitted disease testing for men, and free, anonymous HIV testing when funds are available. More than 6,000 Atlantans have learned their HIV status through ARCA's HIV testing program. ARCA has developed into a highly respected and successful HIV/AIDS research facility in the country over the past two decades by enrolling more than 2,000 metro Atlanta residents in more than 300 clinical drug trials that provide the latest investigational HIV/AIDS medications at no cost to them.

ARCA has contributed key scientific information leading to the FDA approval of more than 27 individual and combination drugs now available for people with HIV/AIDS worldwide. ARCA was one of only three centers in the US that participated in a CDC study to test the safety of tenofovir, an existing HIV medicine, as a possible tool to prevent HIV infections. Over a 14 year period, ARCA enrolled more than 10,000 Atlantans with HIV infection in a CDC study to better understand HIV and AIDS. In all, more than 20,000 Atlantans have participated in ARCA studies and services. For more information, visit www.arcatlanta.org.

About GeoVax Labs, Inc.

GeoVax is a biotechnology company developing human vaccines for diseases caused by HIV and other infectious agents. Our goals include developing HIV/AIDS vaccines for global markets, manufacturing and testing these vaccines under GMP/GLP guidelines, conducting clinical trials to document vaccine safety and effectiveness, and obtaining regulatory approvals to move the product forward. The completed preventative Phase 1 human clinical trials included testing of various combinations and doses of our DNA and MVA vaccines and the data obtained demonstrated the ability of these products to safely raise HIV-specific immune responses. Successful results from Phase 1 testing supported the initiation of the Phase 2 clinical trial which began in January 2009 and will involve 225 participants at sites in the United States and South America.

Long term, we expect that GeoVax will grant manufacturing and distribution rights in several global markets in return for upfront fees, collaborative development agreements, and royalties on sales and distribution revenues. Internal vaccine manufacturing and distribution will also be considered by GeoVax. For more information, please visit www.geovax.com.