For Immediate Release
Contact:
Sarah Lyle Coleman
Arnold Arboretum
508-468-1155, ext. 135
Only Plant-Based Anti-HIV Agent Goes into Clinical Trial
BOSTON, June 21, 1997 ñ Sarawak MediChem Pharmaceuticals, Inc., of Lemont, IL, has begun screening patients for a 50-patient Phase IA clinical trial of (+)-Calanolide A, an anti-HIV agent found by scientists of the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University in the rainforest of Sarawak, Malaysia. (+)-Calanolide A is the only plant-based compound to go into clinical testing against HIV.
Study Overview The study, which is designed to assess the safety and tolerability of the compound, is a single-center, seven-month trial. It will be performed in the United States and will involve a two-part dosage scheme: a single-dosing portion evaluating escalating dosage levels and a multiple-dosing portion that will involve twice-daily dosing for a period of three days per cohort.
Preliminary Testing Results In-vitro studies of (+)-Calanolide A, a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, have shown the compound to be effective against HIV-1, including strains to AZT and some other non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. It also has exhibited synergistic anti-HIV activity when used in combination with nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, including AZT, ddI, ddC, and carbovir.
Brief History The compound was found in the plant Calophyllum lanigerum, which was discovered 10 years ago by Dr. John Burley, director of research for the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, in Sarawak, Malaysia. Through testing at the National Cancer
Institute, the plant was shown to contain a substance that completely inhibits the replication of the AIDs virus. When researchers returned to the rainforest to gather more samples, the plant had been cut down. Additional sampling turned up only plants that resembled the original, which, upon testing, did not show the same anti-AIDs properties. A voucher catalogued at the Arnold Arboretum of the original specimen, along with the expertise of Professor Peter Stevens, led to the rediscovery of the original specimen.
Sarawak MediChem Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is a joint venture between MediChem Research, Inc., in Lemont, IL, and the state of Sarawak, Malaysia, dedicated to advancing the clinical development of (+)-Calanolide A. Formed in 1987, MediChem Research is a biotechnology firm specializing in custom organic synthesis. It holds a patent for the total synthesis of (+)-Calanolide A. It also has a worldwide exclusive license to the National Cancer Institute patent of the structure of the compound, as well as to the rights held by the government of Sarawak.
The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is comprised of a 265-acre park land with a collection of more than 15,000 trees, an herbarium, and a library. Integral to the Arboretum's mission is preserving and managing natural resources both domestically and globally, including an extensive scientific research and biodiversity management program with the Government of Indonesia.
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