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September 18 2002, Press release
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| Correction of article in Helsingin Sanomat and other media sources 18.09.2002 |
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In reference to today's news about the Estonian HIV epidemic (published in the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat and in other media sources 18.09.2002), it was mentioned that the Finnish biotechnology company FIT Biotech Plc will discontinue the clinical studies with the vaccine for HIV G-clade. FIT Biotech would kindly like to correct this statement. FIT Biotech has not earlier announced that the Company will start any clinical trials with G-clade in Estonia.
FIT Biotech is performing clinical trials in Finland with the HIV vaccine developed by the company. This Information was released for the media on the 30.11.2002 and 13.09.2002. (www.fitbiotech.com/news)
Several clades of this rapidly mutating HIV-1 virus are known from which five clades A, B, C, D and E are common. The clade B is the most widespread in Western Europe.
An ideal HIV vaccine would be effective for all clades, this kind of a vaccine is the final target for FIT Biotech. Vaccine development work progresses stepwise and the vaccines for specific clades are often tested separately. Multi-phase preclinical and clinical studies for each individual clades are time consuming and expensive.
FIT Biotech's HIV vaccine, which is at the moment in clinical trials, is of clade B. Fit Biotech is currently developing vaccines for other clades e.g. clade A which is common in Russia and Africa, clade C which is common in Asia, and clade G which is common in Estonia. FIT Biotech is prepared to consider clinical trials for the G-clade specific vaccines in co-operation with the state of Estonia and international agencies supporting the HIV vaccine development. Mart Ustav, Vice President of the vaccine technology of FIT Biotech, wishes that the know-how of FIT Biotech would be used to relieve the HIV epidemic in Estonia.
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| Additional Information |
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CEO & President Mr. Pekka Sillanaukee
Tel. +358 3 3138 7000
Fax +358 3 3138 7050
Mobile +358 40 833 1313
pekka.sillanaukee@fitbiotech.com
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| References: |
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www.fitbiotech.com /news/news in Finnish/ Press release of FIT Biotech Plc in Friday November 30th, 2001 and September 13th, 2002
www.iavi.org /need for a vaccine / (http://www.iavi.org/need/needs.htm)
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| Appendix: Reference IAVI - Wold needs a HIV vaccine |
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The Human toll of AIDS is staggering
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More than 25 million men, women and children have died from AIDS. |
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AIDS now kills more people worldwide than any other infectious disease. |
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More than 40 million people are living with HIV. Nearly all will die from AIDS- related complications within the next two decades. |
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An estimated 5 million people were newly infected with HIV in 2001. |
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More than 13 million children worldwide have been orphaned by AIDS. Their numbers are expected to top 40 million in the next decade. |
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More than 95% of all new infections are in developing countries, making HIV/AIDS among the most serious threats not only to global health, but to global development. |
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Prevention programs-including education, condom and clean needle distribution and peer counseling-have slowed the spread of HIV, but have not stopped it. |
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Treatment advances have yielded important new AIDS therapies, but the cost and complexity of their use put them out of reach for most people in the countries where they are needed the most. In industrialized nations where drugs are more readily available, side effects and increased rates of viral resistance have raised concerns about their long-term use. |
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| Only an HIV vaccine can end the HIV/AIDS pandemic
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