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Monday, August 11, 2008

NanoViricides Reports HIVCide-I May Be Functional Cure for HIV/AIDS

Today NanoViricides Inc. (more NNVC Charts) reported that HIVCide-I was significantly superior to the Current Anti-HIV Three Drug Cocktail currently used to treat HIV/AIDS.  HIVCide-I may be a "functional cure cure for HIV/AIDS." 

NanoViricides Inc has a market capitalization (at $1.33) of $158 million assuming 119 million shares outstanding. 

My dream is a big American drug company like Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Pfizer (PFE) or Merck (MRK) buys NNVC for maybe $5 billion.  I would even be happy to have the technology leave the US if a big foreign company like Bayer, GlazoSmithKline (GSK), Novartis (NVS), Sanofi-Aventis (SAN), Hoffmann–La Roche (SWX Europe: ROG) or AstraZeneca (AZN) paid more. 

NanoViricides, Inc. Reports that HIVCide-I Was Significantly Superior to the Current Anti-HIV Three Drug Cocktail Standard

The Novel Mechanism of Action of HIVCide-I Defines a New Class of Anti-HIV Drugs

WEST HAVEN, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NanoViricides, Inc. (OTC BB: NNVC.OB), (the “Company”) said that additional biological tests and data analysis have shown that animals treated with its lead anti-HIV drug candidate, HIVCide™-I, demonstrated a substantially greater reduction in viral load -- number of infectious virus particles per milliliter of blood -- when compared to the animals given the anti-HIV “combo cocktail” in a preliminary animal study.  An important objective of anti-HIV treatment is to minimize the viral load. 

These new data expand on the findings previously reported and are consistent with earlier results.  The Company has previously reported that HIVCide-I was substantially superior to the combo therapy in improvement of survival time, as well as in reducing the body weight loss, in this preliminary animal study. 

“We now know that HIVCide-I was clearly superior to the triple drug combo cocktail in all parameters we observed,” said Anil R. Diwan, PhD, President of the Company, adding, “The novel mechanism of action of HIVCide-I defines a new class of anti-HIV drugs.  This enables that it can be combined with the existing cocktail.  In such a combination, a much greater level of effectiveness could be achieved compared to what is possible today.” 

”If our preliminary results can be duplicated in humans, it is quite possible that HIVCide-I, either alone or in combination with the current combo cocktail, may provide a ‘functional cure’ for HIV/AIDS,” said Eugene Seymour, MD, MPH, CEO of the Company. 

Anthony S. Fauci, MD, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), NIH, recently described “functional cure” as a state short of true HIV cure that allows a patient to live a life practically free of HIV following prolonged treatment, although the infection may still be present in a latent fashion.  True cure (complete freedom from HIV) may be much more difficult to achieve than functional cure because the virus hides in immune cells that make up “latent reservoirs” (http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/08/05/ fauci.hiv.column/index.html). 

The Company is now in discussions with renowned HIV scientists as to the nature of the additional experiments needed to develop the nanoviricide drug candidate for FDA approval. 

NanoViricides, Inc. (www.nanoviricides.com) is a development stage company that is creating special purpose nanomaterials for viral therapy.  The Company's novel nanoviricide™ class of drug candidates are designed to specifically attack enveloped virus particles and to dismantle them.  The Company is developing drugs against a number of viral diseases including H5N1 bird flu, seasonal influenza, HIV, EKC (epidemic kerato-conjunctivitis or severe pink eye disease), hepatitis C, rabies, dengue fever, and Ebola virus, among others. 

This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect the Company's current expectation regarding future events.  Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties.  Actual events could differ materially and substantially from those projected herein and depend on a number of factors.  Certain statements in this release, and other written or oral statements made by NanoViricides, Inc. are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  These forward looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements of the company to be different from those expressed or implied including the success of the Company's research and development efforts, the availability of adequate financing, the successful and timely completion of clinical studies and the uncertainties related to the regulatory process, described in the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis” section of the Company’s Form 10-KSB and other reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

Contact:

NanoViricides, Inc.Amanda Schuon, 310-550-7200info@nanoviricides.com

Source: NanoViricides, Inc.

Disclaimer.  I personally own NanoViricides Inc. (NNVC Charts) and trade it around a core position.  I also cover NNVC in "Kirk Lindstrom's Investment Newsletter."  My lowest purchase is $0.72 and I may sell those shares at any time to book profits as I trade it to lower my cost basis.  For my recommended buy and sell levels for trading, see "Kirk's Investment Newsletter." ( Testimonials - Subscribe Now)