March 4, 2004 There is a new compound on the market showing great potential for the treatment of HIV infections, and possibly even application in the management of advanced cases of AIDS! Called Immune-Assist 247, this product was recently introduced to the public by Aloha Medicinals Inc. of Maui, Hawaii. Made from beta-glucans and other polysaccharide immuno-stimulant compounds extracted from a number of different species of medicinal mushrooms, and a rare compound extracted from Green Tea, this formula has been selected after preliminary studies for a large scale clinical trial with HIV patients. The forerunner of this formulation is a product called Immune-Assist Critical Care Formula, which has been on the market worldwide for about 5 years as an adjunct for the treatment of cancer. "We found an unexpected result when using Immune-Assist in patients infected with the HIV virus" stated John Holliday, Director of Research for Aloha Medicinals "We noted that when an HIV/AIDS patient took the Immune-Assist for cancer, their clinical picture improved dramatically in regards to the HIV infection!"

How it Works

This really isn't surprising when it is considered how Immune-Assist addresses cancer issues in the body. It does this by stimulation of the immune system, rather than by a direct cytotoxic effect. It has been long understood that the Beta-Glucan class of compounds found in many species of mushrooms significantly enhances human immune function. This class of compounds are in fact the most widely prescribed anticancer medications in the world. The pharmaceutical drugs Lentinan, PSK and Grifolan are examples of this class of compounds. These are all primary anticancer drugs. Up until now, there has been little work done in judging the efficacy of these drugs in the management of HIV infections.

What is New

The original Immune-Assist formula is a cocktail of 6 of these Beta-Glucan compounds, all of which are potent immune stimulants. The addition of another polyphenol compound which is extracted from green tea leaves, as well as some direct-acting antiretroviral compounds from the mushroom Cordyceps sinensis is what make Immune-Assist 247 stand apart as an anti-HIV drug. The combination of these compounds act in at least three different ways to help control HIV. There is the direct immune stimulation from the Beta-Glucans, the antiretroviral effect of the altered nucleosides from the Cordyceps sinensis and the viral fusion-inhibitor effect from the polyphenol compounds found in green tea.

IA 247

After looking at the possible multiple mechanisms of action for this revolutionary combination, Immune-Assist 247 was chosen as the compound of choice for testing in early stage HIV patients. The Noguchi Institute for Medical Research in Accra Ghana, West Africa was chosen as the main collaborator for this project. Noguchi Institute is the premier medical research facility in Africa for research into HIV and AIDS. The concept for this clinical trial is to choose patients with a T-cell count above 400, or in other words, early stage HIV patients, and have them take the Immune-Assist 247. It is thought that the daily use of the Immune-Assist 247, which is classed as a dietary supplement rather than a drug, will slow or stop the progression of the HIV infection. Current medical guidelines call for initiating therapy with antiretroviral drugs only after a patient's T-cell count declines to 200 or lower. By this stage the patient is classified as having full-blown AIDS. It is much more difficult to manage a patient effectively at this point. By the time the T-cell count gets below 200, the patient is much more susceptible to all manner of opportunistic infections (OIs). It is these OIs that are the real killer in AIDS. By taking an early stage HIV patient, or in other words, an essentially healthy patient who just happens to be infected by the HIV virus, and maintaining their T-cell count at a normal level, it is hoped that the infection can be held in check and never progress to the stage of AIDS. This clinical trial with Immune-Assist 247 will ultimately enroll between 1000 and 2000 patients, who will either receive the Immune-Assist 247 or a placebo. They will be tracked for 24 months with their T-cell counts monitored monthly. This is perhaps the largest clinical trial of testing on a dietary supplement for the control of HIV ever conducted anywhere in the world.

Why is this Important

This is a real breakthrough in the way we are looking at HIV and AIDS. The normal, healthy human body already harbors about 500 different retroviruses. If we can find a way to halt the progress from simple HIV infection to AIDS, this could very well become a completely manageable disease. The virus may still be present, but if we can slow or stop the rate at which it affects the T-cells, it may very well turn out to be just virus number 501. This is much the same way diabetes is managed with the use of insulin today. The insulin controls some or all of the negative effects of the diabetes, even though the underlying cause is still present. In a similar way, it is thought that the use of Immune-Assist 247 will manage some or all of the negative aspects of the HIV infection. At the very least, it should reduce the number of opportunistic infections, and thereby increase the quality of life for the HIV/AIDS patient. There are presently an estimated 29 million HIV infected people in Africa, and about 40 million worldwide.

Our Company

Aloha Medicinals Inc., based in Maui, Hawaii is the largest producer of medicinal mushroom compounds in North America.They have manufacturing facilities in California as well as Hawaii. This company is noted for its breakthrough research in the field of medicinal mushrooms, and presently has mushroom derived compounds undergoing trials in China for the treatment of SARS. Aloha Medicinals will soon to be embarking on a new project with the Government of China in the production of a new class of anticancer drug derived from Cordyceps sinensis. Produced strictly in sterile tissue culture, Cordyceps sinensis is the specialty of this bio-tech company. Their development of revolutionary new methods for the hybridization and cultivation of Cordyceps is the subject of the latest issue of the prestigious peer-review scientific journal in this field, "The International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms". One reason for their unbroken string of successes in the nutraceutical research field is their corporate philosophy of using the mushrooms as biochemical factories for the production of unique new compounds which are far too complex to synthesize in the laboratory. This 'targeted medicinal compound' approach to mushroom cultivation is a completely new avenue in medicinal mushroom research. Expect to be hearing a lot more about this upstart Bio-Tech company in the future.