The initiation of CEL-SCI's rapidly-accelerated LEAPS-H1N1 clinical development program builds on CEL-SCI's pioneering work with its L.E.A.P.S.(TM) technology in the context of H1N1. CEL-SCI's L.E.A.P.S. (Ligand Epitope Antigen Presentation System) technology allows the Company to direct an immune response against specific disease epitopes. In the case of CEL-SCI's investigational LEAPS-H1N1 treatment, this involves non-changing regions of H1N1 Pandemic Flu, Avian Flu (H5N1), and the Spanish Flu. This is intended to enable stimulation of the specifically-needed immune responses, while avoiding the administration of regions of H1N1, and other viruses, which may exacerbate the problem of cytokine storm, which CEL-SCI scientists believe may be involved in the death of some H1N1 patients.

L.E.A.P.S. technology is a novel T-cell modulation platform technology that enables CEL-SCI to design and synthesize, non-recombinantly, proprietary immunogens. The L.E.A.P.S. technology combines a small peptide that activates the immune system with a small peptide from a disease-related protein, such as the H1N1 hemagglutinin molecule, to make an investigational product that induces defined immune responses. Each L.E.A.P.S. construct is composed of a T cell binding ligand (TCBL) which previously has demonstrated the ability to induce and elicit protective immunity and antigen-specific antibody production in animal models. Thus, extensive animal studies conducted to date indicate that any disease for which an antigenic sequence has been identified, such as infectious, parasitic, malignant or autoimmune diseases and allergies, are potential therapeutic or preventive sites for the application of L.E.A.P.S. technology.

Source: cel-sci