BUDAPEST, HUNGARY 4/11/11 -- Power of the Dream Ventures, Inc. (OTCBB: PWRV), Hungary's premier technology acquisition and development company, is pleased to announce Genetic Immunity's Phase II trial results for the Company's Lead Product candidate called DermaVir, based on a previously announced agreement whereby Power of the Dream Ventures will issue communications for Genetic immunity on a going forward basis.

DermaVir, the world's first topical dendritic cell-targeting HIV therapeutic vaccine candidate, employs nanotechnology to boost the patient's own immune responses and to kill HIV-infected cells. The goal of DermaVir immune boosting therapy is to decrease antiretroviral drug exposure while maintaining undetectable HIV-RNA levels and achieve a remission (functional cure) in HIV-infected patients.

In a randomized, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging Phase II study conducted in Hamburg, Germany, thirty-six HIV-infected individuals, not yet taking antiretroviral drugs, received one of three DermaVir doses, or the placebo, every six weeks. "The treatments were very well-tolerated and CD4+ cell counts did not decrease," explained the study's Principle Investigator, Jan van Lunzen, MD of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Infectious Diseases Unit. "At 24 weeks, the individuals' HIV viral loads were compared to their baseline values. A statistically significant reduction of 0.5 log10 copies/mL, a 70 percent reduction equivalent to that produced by several anti-HIV drugs, was seen in the cohort receiving 0.4 mg DermaVir vaccinations. Also in this group, HIV gag-specific precursor/memory T cells increased by 97 percent as the viral load decreased, a result not seen with antiretroviral drugs. Based upon our study the immune boosting and antiviral activity of DermaVir immunizations may provide a unique treatment approach for people with HIV/AIDS."

DermaVir features all key technological elements of Genetic Immunity's Immune Therapy Technology Platform. The Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient of DermaVir is a single plasmid DNA immunogen safely expressing 15 HIV antigens, the broadest antigen repertoire seen among HIV vaccine candidates to date. DermaVir Product is a "pathogen-like" nanomedicine and it is administered topically with a medical device, called DermaPrep. This technology in vivo targets the antigens to dendritic cells to prime naïve T cells and expand the HIV-specific T cell pool to kill HIV-infected cells.

"Unlike traditional vaccines that prevent disease, therapeutic vaccines are given to people who are already infected to boost the body's immune response. To live a better and longer life HIV-infected people boost their immune systems with vitamins, dietary supplements and herbs. We designed DermaVir to specifically boost their immune system to kill their HIV-infected cells and win the battle. Our Phase II trial provides the human proof of concept that immune boosting with DermaVir can reduce HIV viral load by killing the infected cells," said Julianna Lisziewicz, PhD and CEO of Genetic Immunity.


About PDV.

Power of the Dream Ventures, Inc. is a leading technology holding company. We identify and harness the unique technological prowess of Hungary's high-tech industry, turning promising ideas and ready to market products/technologies into global industry leaders. We focus on developing, acquiring, licensing, or co-developing technologies that originate exclusively in Hungary that are in prototype stage based on existing patents; in prototype stage prior to patenting; existing products that require expansion capital to commercialize; emerging science and high-technology research projects that require help in patenting, developing the product and marketing, University spin-off technologies, and ideas from the very early stage that represent "disruptive technologies." We primarily focus on providing enabling solutions in the fields of environmental technologies, power generation and storage, software products and services, biotechnology, medical devices and what we call 'disruptive technologies.' For more information please visit our website at Http://www.powerofthedream.com


About Genetic Immunity
Genetic Immunity is a privately held US/Hungarian biotechnology company developing a new class of immunotherapeutic biologics for the treatment of viral infections, cancer and allergy. The Company's proprietary therapeutic vaccine platform technology is based on dendritic cell-targeting topical nanomedicines. For more information please visit http://www.geneticimmunity.com


About DermaVir
DermaVir is a novel therapeutic HIV vaccine with both antiviral and immunomodulating activities. Genetic Immunity believes that DermaVir has the potential to offer a paradigm change in the treatment of HIV/AIDS based on clinical data showing boosting of HIV-specific T cells and decrease of HIV-infected cells that are not eliminated by antiretroviral drugs. DermaVir has an excellent safety profile similar to vaccines used in healthy adults and children. The goal of DermaVir immune intensification is to modify HIV disease, decrease drug exposure while mainaining undetectable HIV-RNA levels and achieve remission (functional cure) in HIV-infected patients.


Contact

At the Company:

Viktor Rozsnyay
President and CEO
Phone: +36-1-456-6061
Fax: +36-1-456-6062
US telephone: 1-646-499-4510 between 8AM and 1PM ET.

At the Genetic Immunity:

Dr. Zsolt Lisziewicz
Chief Operating Officer
Phone: +36-1-272-0364
Fax: +36-1-272-0365
Cell: +36-30-211-6402


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Source: Power of the Dream Ventures, Inc.

 

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