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IRBO: Bird flu news

Immune Boosting Drug May Help Prevent Bird Flu Pandemic
MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2005 7:30 AM
- PR Newswire


SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct 10, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- ImmuneRegen BioSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of IR BioSciences Holdings, Inc. (IRBO) , today announced that it is moving rapidly forward with its strategy for combating avian influenza (H5N1), also known as bird flu. The company, which has seen its proprietary drug, Viprovex(TM), treat other strains of influenza in animal models, is currently pursuing government and military collaborations to test Viprovex on the H5N1 strain itself. Company officials are confident they will find similar results due to the immune boosting nature of the drug. This comes after an announcement from President Bush that his administration is finalizing a plan on preparing for an outbreak of the bird flu. Further, the Senate last week passed legislation authorizing $4 billion for additional purchases of anti-flu medication.

"The scientific community's biggest fear is that before a vaccine is available, the avian flu strain will mutate to where it can infect people more readily, or become transmissible from person to person," says ImmuneRegen CEO, Michael Wilhelm. "Based on the results of our Hong Kong influenza virus research, we believe Viprovex will enable the body's own immune system to fight off any flu strain naturally. This opens the possibility that Viprovex could be used either as a stand alone treatment or as an adjunct to a vaccine or other therapy."

In past studies, ImmuneRegen researchers have found that Viprovex decreases apoptosis (cell death) in pulmonary alveolar macrophages after toxic exposure. The research indicates that Viprovex keeps pulmonary alveolar macrophages alive to fight respiratory viruses. With the Viprovex treatment, studies show a very large decrease in lung injury after Hong Kong Influenza infection in mice. In addition, Viprovex increases interferon gamma production in the spleen after viral infection. Interferon was administered to SARS victims in Canada to fight the deadly disease, but this treatment was rejected in China and other parts of Asia because of the toxic effects of interferon administration.

Earlier in the year, officials of ImmuneRegen presented "A new neurokinin receptor agonist as a potential treatment and prophylactic measure in poultry and humans for avian flu" at the 2-day conference on Avian Influenza held in Paris, France on April 7 and 8, 2005. This abstract showed the possibility of efficacy in treating and preventing the multiple strains of Avian Flu and how, unlike flu vaccines, Viprovex could be a universal protectant against many types of influenza.

About IR BioSciences Holdings, Inc.

IR BioSciences Holdings Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiary ImmuneRegen BioSciences, Inc., is developing Homspera(TM) and its derivatives Radilex(TM) and Viprovex(TM) as a family of countermeasures for multiple homeland security threats, including chemical agents, Acute Radiation Sickness (ARS) from a dirty bomb or nuclear disaster, and infectious disease/biological warfare scenarios. This positions the base compound Homspera as a potential Universal Protectant. Homspera is derived from modified homeostatic Substance P, a naturally occurring peptide immunomodulator and homeostatic compound with the dual effect of improving pulmonary function and the stimulation of the human immune system. Further advances with the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and the U.S. Air Force are currently being pursued. The development of Homspera and its derivatives is pursuant to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's "animal efficacy" rule, which allows an expedited approval process. In addition, these compounds are candidates for the Strategic National Stockpile under current BioShield law. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.immuneregen.com.

Disclaimer

Statements about the Company's future expectations, including future revenues and earnings, and all other statements in this press release other than historical facts, are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company intends that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbors created thereby. The Company's actual results could differ materially from expected results as a result of a number of factors, including the uncertainties inherent in research collaborations, clinical trials and product development programs, the evaluation of potential opportunities, the level of corporate expenditures, capital market conditions, and others set forth in the Company's periodic report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended June 30, 2005 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact: W. Jason Grimley
Spelling Communications
310-477-9500
[e-mail]


SOURCE ImmuneRegen BioSciences

W. Jason Grimley of Spelling Communications, [phone], [e-mail],
for ImmuneRegen BioSciences


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