Company Plans To Initiate Human Safety Studies Of The Investigational Vaccine This Summer
NEEDHAM, MA (April 19, 1999): A novel vaccine approach shows promise for raising high density lipoprotein (HDL) or "good" cholesterol levels, and preventing atherosclerosis, according to preclinical research presented today by scientists from AVANT Immunotherapeutics (Nasdaq: AVAN). Vaccinated animals demonstrated 35% higher blood HDL cholesterol levels and atherosclerotic lesions were reduced by approximately 40 percent (p<0.046) compared with controls. The AVANT scientists presented their work today at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Experimental Biology '99 Meeting in Washington, D.C.
"We are very pleased with these results, which clearly demonstrate the feasibility of our vaccine approach as a novel strategy for preventing or treating atherosclerosis," said Una Ryan, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of AVANT Immunotherapeutics. "As a result, we are preparing to initiate human clinical safety studies with the vaccine this summer."
Atherosclerosis is a major underlying cause of heart attacks and stroke. AVANT's atherosclerosis vaccine works by eliciting antibodies that block the activity of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), a molecule that mediates the movement of cholesterol from HDL to low density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad" cholesterol. Blocking CETP activity results in high levels of HDL. Elevated LDL cholesterol is a key risk factor for atherosclerosis; LDL is the major carrier of cholesterol to body tissues and so is closely implicated in atherosclerotic plaque formation. In contrast, a high HDL cholesterol level is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. In fact, medical studies have shown that the risk of coronary heart disease is increased by 2%-3% for every 1% decrease in HDL cholesterol.
In the reported experiments, AVANT researchers employed cholestero
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19-Apr-1999