HemaCare to Repeat Study of HIV, AIDS Treatment

Sherman Oaks-based HemaCare Corp. said it has agreed after talks with the federal Food and Drug Administration to conduct a repeat study involving its plasma treatment therapy for HIV and AIDS patients before proceeding to the next round of clinical trials.

In a statement, the company said the FDA had questioned its virus inactivation process for preventing the possible transmission of HIV or hepatitis through the treatment. The company’s plan involves treating HIV patients with antibodies from the sterilized plasma of healthy HIV donors.

In response to the FDA, the company’s repeat study, expected to take about a month, will involve the addition of larger amounts of the HIV virus to normal plasma to reconfirm the ability of the process to inactivate the HIV virus. The company considers its Immupath therapy a potential treatment for HIV and AIDS patients.

HemaCare, which has suffered financial losses in recent years, said it has been conducting trials on Immupath since 1990. The company also said it has retained Kemper Securities Inc. to help explore capital sources for funding future clinical trials.