Gilead’s vesatolimod shows modest effect early-stage HIV study

Gilead Sciences (GILD -3.9%) announces results from a Phase 1b clinical trial evaluating toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonist vesatolimod in 25 HIV-positive participants. The data are being presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston.

Enrollees demonstrated partial viral suppression prior to starting antiretroviral therapy (ART). They received either 10 biweekly doses of vesatolimod or placebo while continuing ART, followed by treatment interruption, then monitored for viral rebound and safety.

Patients receiving the TLR7 agonist showed a longer period of viral suppression than control, but the difference was modest. Median time to viral rebound (>50 copies/mL) in the vesatolimod cohort was 4.1 weeks compared to 3.9 weeks for placebo (p=0.036). Median time to rebound based on a higher threshold (>200 copies/mL) also favored vesatolimod, five weeks vs. four weeks (p=0.024). Four participants in the vesatolimod group had no virologic rebound (>50 copies/mL) for at least six weeks.

Vesatolimod (GS-9620) is part of the company’s HIV cure research program.

Principal investigator Prof. Steven Deeks says, “This is the first study done in people that has shown with an immunotherapy that you can enhance immune function resulting in both a smaller viral reservoir and an increased time to viral rebound after treatment is interrupted. The effects are modest, and no one came close to any definition of a cure, but the data suggests real progress might be made when the drug is used in combination with other approaches.”

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3550263-gileads-vesatolimod-shows-modest-effect-early-stage-hiv-study