Type IV. Technologies

Type IV Technologies, L.L.C. (“Type IV”), is a privately held company formed in 2002 to develop a new therapy that will change the current standard of care for people with warts. This new therapy, immunotherapy for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infections, involves using FDA-approved skin test antigens both by themselves and in combination to induce an immunologic response that rids the body of warts. A pilot study of 115 patients showed an efficacy rate of 76% using one antigen. Type IV Technologies, Inc. Type IV has an exclusive license with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), to bring this treatment to market.

Dr. Thomas Horn, M.D., chair of the Dermatology Department in the UAMS College of Medicine, and Dr. Sandra Marchese Johnson, M.D., an assistant professor in the department, at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) developed this new treatment for common warts that appears to be more successful than any standard method. (See video.)

Sandra Marchese Johnson, M.D., and Thomas Horn, M.D., examine a patient .

Warts are benign epidermal tumors caused by the Human papilloma virus (HPV). There is a 79% lifetime risk of acquiring HPV with an annual incidence of 8%. If left untreated 60% of patients will continue to have warts, most of which will grow and spread. Current effective treatment is painful and scaring and must be applied to each individual wart present.

T4 has developed the first new therapy for warts in many decades: immunotherapy for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) wart infections. Our approach to the treatment of warts uses intralesional skin test antigens (US Patent 6350451)^. In our initial studies 76% of people treated, cleared their wart, and 78% of people cleared anatomically distant untreated warts.We have concluded that this form of therapy is viable, and that it induces systemic immunologic response to epitopes on the human papillomavirus. Intralesional immunotherapy with skin test antigens will change the current standard of care for people with HPV infections.

Dr. Sandra M. Johnson MD and Thomas D. Horn MD founded T4. Together, Drs. Johnson and Horn developed this exciting new form of therapy, and are the patent holders for the relevant technology use. In addition UAMS has an interest in the patent under agreement with researchers at UAMS. T4 has an exclusive license to develop and market this therapy.

UAMS has a demonstrated interest in launching new companies based on technologies developed at the University. To this end UAMS created Arkansas BioVentures to help these companies get off the ground by providing expertise in the startup phase of these companies.