United Biomedical Inc. (UBI) announced that it has extendedthe Phase I safety trials of its synthetic AIDS vaccine to includepeople at risk for HIV infection.

UBI began the Phase I trials in healthy volunteers in February.

The prototype vaccine consists of eight peptides from the V3loop of the HIV outer envelope. In animal studies, it producedhigh levels of protective antibodies to a wide variety of AIDSvirus strains. In fact, UBI is specifically designing the putativevaccine to address global variation of the virus, with the goal ofdesigning a final vaccine candidate of 15-20 internationalvariants capable of conferring worldwide protection.

Baxter International Inc. of Deerfield, Ill., agreed in March1992 to finance up to $10 million of R&D on the vaccine, towhich it will gain exclusive worldwide distribution rights. Atthe same time, Baxter acquired almost 12 percent equity inUBI.

UBI of Hauppauge, N.Y., filed for an initial public offering of2.75 million shares of common stock in February. Thattransaction is still pending. -- By Jennifer Van Brunt

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