ALX40-4C is the code-name for a compound developed by the Canadian company Allelix Biopharmaceuticals Inc. (now part of NPS Pharmaceuticals) Its full name is N-alpha-acetyl-nona-D-arginine amide acetate.

In test-tube studies it is said to inhibit HIVs tat enzyme, although it has also been suggested that it works by inhibiting interactions between HIV's surface proteins and the receptors on the outside of human cells, blocking the virus from infecting cells.

A pilot pharmacokinetic study involving 28 asymptomatic people with HIV found that it was well-tolerated, but the manufacturer halted its development in January 1997.

References

Anonymous. Allelix's TAT-antagonist enters trials. Scrip 1889: 25, 18^th January 1994.

O'Brien WA et al. Interference of HIV entry by inhibiting interactions with fusin. Fourth Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, Washington, abstract 401, 1997.

Sahai J et al. A phase I, single-dose evaluation of ALX40-4C in HIV-positive patients. 35^th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, San Francisco, abstract A127, 1995.

Sumner-Smith M et al. ALX40-4C: anti-HIV, cell uptake and pharmacokinetic analyses. Tenth International Conference on AIDS, Yokohama, abstract 425A, 1994.