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Abstract

Abstract: DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Currently, treatment for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the systemic use of recombinant interferon-a (IFN-a). Unfortunately, IFN-a treatment typically requires frequent injections for an extended duration and is effective in only a minority of patients. Although the recent development of formulated versions of IFN-a have improved treatment, some patients still require weekly injections for over a year. Recent studies have demonstrated that long-term maintenance IFN-a therapy can slow progression of HCV-related liver inflammation and fibrosis, which often lead to chronic liver disease. Unfortunately, the cost, inconvenience, and side effects associated with bolus administration of IFN-a protein make it poorly suited for such indications. Gene-based production of IFN-a has been proposed as an alternative means of delivery. This approach could potentially provide stable, consistent serum IFN-a levels for several months, thereby minimizing the bolus kinetics associated with traditional IFN-a administration. Therefore, the goal of Phase I is to evaluate the basic feasibility of an IFN-a therapy based on delivery of plasmid DNA into muscle by electroporation. Successful development of a therapy capable of providing months of effective IFN-a production should provide a substantial improvement in the compliance, convenience, and cost of IFN-a therapy, potentially enabling treatment for a broader patient population.

Thesaurus Terms:
antiviral agent, electroporation, gene delivery system, hepatitis C, immunotherapy, interferon alpha, technology /technique development
hepatitis C virus, intramuscular injection, plasmid

Institution:	ICHOR MEDICAL SYSTEMS
	6310 NANCY RIDGE DR, STE 107
	SAN DIEGO, CA 92121
Fiscal Year:	2002
Department:
Project Start:	15-AUG-2002
Project End:	14-FEB-2003
ICD:	NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES
IRG:	ZRG1