VimRx Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Monday that the dosingschedule for its NIH-sponsored Phase I trial of VimRxyn isbeing revised after the drug caused photosensitivity problemsin AIDS patients.

Some patients have experienced significant cutaneousdiscomfort at the second dose level and lesser discomfort at thefirst dose level, the company said. As a result, some patientshave dropped out of the trial.

The remaining patients are continuing to receive the drug, butnew patients are not being enrolled under the existing protocol.The clinical sites may recruit patients after a revised dosingschedule is accepted.

VimRxyn is an anti-viral organic compound based on hypericin,a plant derivative of St. John's wort. The Stamford, Conn.,company (NASDAQ:VMRX) theorizes that the compound inhibitsinfection by interfering with the ability of the viral capsid, thecentral core of the virus, to open. The capsid contains key viralcomponents required for replication.

VimRx shares lost 44 cents on Monday, closing at $2.75.

VimRx also announced a collaborative program with theNational Institutes of Health to develop an oral form ofhypericin, which now is administered intravenously. The oralform will be formulated at the University of Iowa, which is anNIH contract facility.

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