IMMUNE RESPONSE FILES IND

Immune Response Corp. announced Tuesday that it has filed aninvestigational new drug application (IND) with FDA for avaccine for treating rheumatoid arthritis.

The treatment is designed to target specific T cells responsiblefor the disease. This putative vaccine is based on a T cellreceptor peptide, termed VB14, and is the San Diego company's(NASDAQ:IMNR) second arthritis vaccine. The first, based onthe VB17 T cell receptor, has been in clinicals since lastSeptember.

Immune Response is basing its vaccine technology on uniquereceptor peptides that have been identified on T cells, includingVB17, VB14 and VB3. It's believed that these cells in particularare able to cause rheumatoid arthritis.

Company scientists have shown that in test tubes the VB17 Tcells -- isolated from a patient -- attack and kill cells liningjoints. And animal studies showed that isolation of specific Tcells responsible for autoimmune disease, followed byvaccination with a portion of that specific T cell receptor,protected animal models against the disease.

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