ImQuest Presents IND-Enabling Safety Pharmacology and Pharmacokinetic Data for the Therapeutic HIV Compound IQP-0410 at Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic ...( FREDERICK Md. Feb. 9 /- ImQuest Life ...)

FREDERICK, Md., Feb. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- ImQuest Life Sciences today presented important new results on the continued development of their small molecule inhibitor of HIV-1 at the 16th CROI meeting held this week in Montreal. The presentation highlighted the advanced development of ImQuest's lead HIV pyrimidinedione inhibitor, IQP-0410. The pyrimidinediones are highly potent inhibitors of HIV, exhibiting a dual mechanism of action which includes targeting virus entry and reverse transcription. The data presented demonstrate that IQP-0410 is well tolerated and safe with plasma drug concentrations 10-20-fold greater than those required for complete suppression of HIV replication at 24-hours following oral administration. Thus, IQP-0410 can be dosed once per day, and possesses a highly positive safety profile which suggests it will be amenable for use in women of child bearing years. Nick Kaludov, Ph.D., Director of Scientific Operations presented the new findings which also included metabolism, safety pharmacology, and genotoxicology evaluations. The studies included ImQuest co-authors Karen Watson, M.S. and Robert W. Buckheit, Jr., Ph.D.

"The data presented today indicate that IQP-0410 may represent a next generation HIV drug with a highly unique mechanism of action and an excellent safety profile," said Dr. Buckheit, Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer. "We look forward to our upcoming clinical trial and believe that IQP-0410 will be an attractive new addition to existing antiretroviral therapies for HIV infection."

ImQuest recently submitted an Investigational New Drug application to the FDA to initiate human clinical trials with IQP-0410 and is concurrently developing a new generation pyrimidinedione with an enhanced barrier to resistance from among the series of pyrimidinediones.

ImQuest Life Sciences (www.ImquestLS.com<
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