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PHASE I DATA FOR HIV/AIDS VACCINE PRESENTED AT CONFERENCE

March 2, 2007

Targeted Genetics presented updated Phase I data from a study of tgAAC09 in healthy volunteers not infected with HIV.

The results demonstrate that vaccination with tgAAC09 appears to be safe and well tolerated and stimulated a modest immune response against gag, the principal HIV protein encoded by tgAAC09. In animal models, tgAAC09 elicited both T- and B-cell responses. In this trial, HIV-specific T-cell responses were observed in 20 percent of participants receiving the highest dose of tgAAC09 tested; however antibody responses were not observed.

In this study, 80 healthy volunteers in Europe and India received a single intramuscular injection of tgAAC09 at different doses. Additionally, 21 of the 50 European volunteers received a booster vaccination of either tgAAC09 at the highest dose tested or placebo.

The trial is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation safety study that also monitors immune responses to HIV antigens. The portion of the study conducted in Belgium and Germany enrolled 50 volunteers who were in good general health and not infected with HIV. The portion of the trial being conducted in India enrolled 30 healthy HIV-uninfected volunteers. Each volunteer received a single intramuscular injection into the upper arm. A subset of volunteers also received a second dose of the vaccine to determine if repeat dosing is safe, and if it boosts immune responses.

The tgAAC09 vaccine candidate utilizes an adeno-associated virus vector to deliver genes encoding HIV proteins and is designed to stimulate an immune response against HIV.