Aphios Granted US Patent For Combination HIV Latency Nanoparticles Towards an HIV Cure

WOBURN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aphios Corporation announced today that it has been granted US Patent No. 11,234,932 for treating HIV latency towards an HIV cure.

Since the start of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in 1982, over 36 million people have died from AIDS and there were approximately 38 million people living with HIV in 2018. Antiretroviral (ART) is very effective in controlling replication of the virus in most cells. HIV, however, establishes latent long-term infection in a small pool of memory CD4⁺ T (immune) and other cells, which contain integrated but transcriptionally silent HIV provirus. These cellular virus reservoirs are a potential source of rapid HIV virus reactivation and progression to AIDS if ART is stopped for any reason. There are no commercially available drugs for treating HIV latency and/or curing HIV.

The Aphios 11,234,932 patent is part of a family of patents for a combination of two Latency Reversal Agents (LRAs) -- a Protein Kinase C (PKC) modulator of the anti-tumor class, ‘Bryoids’ and a Histone Deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor co-encapsulated in long-circulating pegylated nanoparticles to purge latent HIV from cellular reservoirs. These patents are for the nanoparticles, medications, their manufacturing and uses. The two LRAs act synergistically. Bryostatin-1 activates, via a classical PKC pathway, transcription factors such as NF-κB that binds HIV-1 promoters and regulates their transcription, while the HDAC inhibitors increase histone acetylation, relaxing (opening) chromatin and facilitating the transcription of HIV-1 genes.

Dr. Trevor P, Castor, CEO, Aphios and inventor of the issued patent states that “HIV/AIDS is a pandemic/endemic we are still battling on par with the current COVID-19 pandemic, and pandemics of the past such as the 14^th century Bubonic Plague and the 20^th century Spanish Flu. Our combination therapy is designed to activate latent HIV reservoirs for clearance by antiretrovirals and/or the patient’s immune system towards an HIV cure to eliminate the long-term economic burden of ARV drug costs, associated drug-induced side effects and social stigma.”

About Aphios Corporation:

Aphios (www.aphios.com) is an emerging growth, green biotechnology company developing enabling technology platforms to improve drug discovery and manufacturing, nanotechnology drug delivery and pathogenic safety. Based on these platforms, Aphios is developing enhanced therapeutics to improve quality-of-life and treat chronic diseases including cancers, infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, and central nervous system disorders in an environmentally sustainable manner.