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Gilead's GS-9620 + neutralizing Ab show encouraging action in preclinical HIV eradication study
Mar. 5, 2018 6:44 AM • SA Editor Douglas W. House
Results from a preclinical proof-of-concept study evaluating the combination of Gilead Sciences' (NASDAQ:GILD) GS-9620, an oral toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonist and PGT121, a proprietary investigational broadly neutralizing antibody, showed a positive effect in eradicating simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) in non-human primates on suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART). The data were presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infection in Boston.
The study involved 44 SHIV-infected rhesus monkeys who started ART on day 7 post-infection. After 96 weeks of continuous ART, they were divided into four equal groups who received either five doses of PCT121 every two weeks for 10 weeks, 10 doses of GS-9620 every two weeks for 20 weeks, placebo or both PCT121 + GS-9620.
After ART discontinuation, five of the 11 animals receiving the combination showed no viral rebound for at least 168 days. The other six rebounded but then began re-suppressing the virus without ART.
Almost all of the primates in the other three groups experienced viral rebound.
The research, conducted with researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, was supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.