HIV is not eradicated because a viral reservoir is maintained through:
1. Infection of new cells
2. Prevention of apoptosis in HIV infected cells
3. Infected cells clonal proliferation
Current drugs only target pathway 1) but not pathways 2) and 3) above
Our novel compounds target all HIV-reservoir maintaining pathways.
Our clinical candidate VS2-370, presently in advanced preclinical development stage:
- Inhibits HIV at nanomolar concentrations
- Proof of Concept has been achieved in vitro
- Can be developed against HIV associated malignancies
- Effects on hiv reservoir can be assessed while developing VS2-370 against HIV associated malignancies
OTHER VIRUSES
By interfering with cellular components that are essential for the replication of DNA viruses, ViroStatics compounds have been shown in vitro and ex vivo to be potent inhibitors of several viruses:
- Varicella-Zoster virus (VZV)
- Hepatitis B virus (HBV)
- Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)
Programs are ongoing to test such viruses in preclinical in vivo models.