InnaVirVax presents highly encouraging results of its first clinical study on VAC-3S immunotherapy for HIV

22-Jul-2015 - France

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InnaVirVax announced the overall results of its Phase I/IIa clinical study (IVVAC-3S/P1) of its VAC-3S immunotherapy, which is currently in development. These results were presented at the "2015 Towards an HIV Cure" symposium. The primary goal of the IVVAC-3S/P1 study was achieved. VAC-3S immunotherapy was very well tolerated and an immune response was demonstrated, the intensity of which was clearly linked to the dose administered.

Above all, the administration of VAC-3S revealed immunovirological effects on four important markers:

A reduction was observed in proviral DNA (one of the most widely studied marker of the viral reservoir); this reduction significantly correlated with the immune response to VAC-3S.

24 weeks after the first dose, patients responding to the VAC-3S vaccine showed significant results regarding the following immunological effects:

a significant rise in the percentage of CD4+ T-lymphocytes, a key marker for reconstitution of the pool of CD4+ T lymphocytes that are destroyed by HIV;
a significant fall in the percentage of CD8+ T lymphocytes, a marker of immune activation that reflects deregulation of the immune system related to the infection;

Finally, a significant rise in the CD4/CD8 ratio was observed, this being a marker of immune reconstitution in patients living with HIV.

The positive course of all these immune measurements means that a functional cure could be envisioned through the administration of VAC-3S as part of cure strategy. Furthermore, these findings, and notably those concerning the fall in levels of a viral reservoir marker, are very promising. They need to be confirmed in future studies on a larger number of patients. That said, the modulation of virological and immunological markers of HIV infection clearly position the development of VAC-3S as part of a "functional cure" strategy designed to allow individuals living with HIV to discontinue their antiretroviral therapy while still controlling their viral load.

https://www.bionity.com/en/news/153755/innavirvax-presents-highly-encouraging-results-of-its-first-clinical-study-on-vac-3s-immunotherapy-for-hiv.html