• HIV Vaccine 

VNJ-15 is a therapeutic vaccine which stimulates killer T-cell response to clear HIV infected cells while also creating neutralizing antibodies. Developed and patented from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, VNJ-15 has the ability to reduce viral load to significantly undetectable levels.

Our HIV vaccine VNJ-15 is a cocktail of synthetic peptides, derived from highly conserved regions of  HIV virus envelope proteins GP120 and GP41. Specific peptides within the cocktail are known to stimulate a CTL response similar to how LTNPs control HIV infection. The VNJ-15 peptides are presented to the immune system via human leukocyte antigens called HLA-A, HLB-B and HLA-C to stimulate CTL clearance of HIV infected cells. In some individuals, it is known that HIV uses Nef protein to down regulate HLA-A and HLB-B, so the VNJ-15 contains peptides targeted to HLA-C, circumventing the control mechanism of HIV.

In studies of LTNP, HLA-c presentation was identified as an important component of CTL control of HIV infection in in-vitro studies. In a series of vaccinations to non-human primates, the treatment suppressed viral load to undetectable levels for as long as three years after viral challenge.

• HIV Drug

VNJ-21 is a synthetic amino acid peptide, which mimics a portion of HIV-1 responsible for entry into the immune system cell. The VNJ-21 peptide binds to immune system cells, preventing the co-receptor interaction necessary for HIV binding and entry. Since VNJ-21 binds to immune system cells to inhibit viral entry rather than binding directly to HIV VNJ-21 may be less susceptible to problems with viral resistance associated with other viral entry inhibitors and HAART (highly active anti-retro viral therapy).

• Tuberculosis Drug

VNJ-36 is in pre-clinical development stage. This compound is very effective in disrupting the aggregation of mico bacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and offers a new and effective treatment options for MTB.