baby_p_nut2

http://www.panacos.com/BuddingInhibitors.htm

Maturation Inhibitors

Panacos scientists recently identified a new target for antiviral
intervention: Virus Maturation, a process that occurs at the last
stage in virus replication when virus is released from infected cells.
Virus maturation involves the processing of viral proteins and is
required for the virus to become infectious.

Panacos' lead HIV inhibitor, PA-457, acts at this point in the virus
life cycle and is the first in a new class of HIV drugs called
Maturation Inhibitors. PA-457 blocks HIV maturation by inhibiting the
final step in the processing of a major viral protein. The resulting
virus particles are incapable of spreading infection around the body.
The mechanism of action of PA-457 is described in a November 2003
publication in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences of the USA (Li et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 100,
13555-13560 (2003)).

In May 2004, Panacos completed a single dose Phase 1 study of PA-457's
safety and pharmacokinetics in healthy, uninfected volunteers and has
recently initiated a multiple dose Phase 1 study of the compound.