u Agouron Pharmaceuticals Inc., La Jolla, Calif., presented preclinicalresults of its anti-HIV agent AG1343, a non-peptidic syntheticmolecule designed to inhibit HIV protease. The company saidpreclinical results showed AG1343 is a potent inhibitor of the HIVprotease enzyme, is effective in halting replication of strains of HIV ina variety of cultured cell lines, and demonstrates in vitro activityagainst acute and chronic HIV infections.u Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, Calif., presented results of aPhase I/II study of ISIS 2922, its antisense oligonucleotide directedagainst cytomegalovirus-induced retinitis in AIDS patients, and said itplans to begin Phase II/III trials this fall. The treatment was well-tolerated and a decrease in the disease was seen in most of the 16treated patients who had failed or become intolerant to ganciclovir orfoscarnet therapy, Isis said.u Cell Therapeutics Inc., Seattle, presented data indicating that its smallmolecule compound, CT-2576, suppresses the cytokine-induced andtat-directed expression and replication of HIV in cells. The companysaid CT-2576 inhibited HIV expression by interfering with a specificspecies of a cell membrane phospholipid, called phosphatidic acid,which may constitute a unique intracellular "second messenger"pathway.081294

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