HIV Vaccine Candidate Expects Early Data in 2024

While there are no approved vaccines to prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, several vaccine candidates are progressing in clinical studies.

As an example, Vir Biotechnology, Inc. today announced that the first participant has been dosed in a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of VIR-1388, an investigational novel T cell vaccine for the prevention of HIV.

VIR-1388 is based on the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) vector platform. It is designed to stimulate the body to produce immune cells known as T cells that recognize several HIV proteins in a way that differs from prior investigational HIV vaccines.

“HIV continues to be a major global public health challenge with no approved vaccines despite decades of research efforts,” said Carey Hwang, M.D., Ph.D., Vir’s Senior Vice President, Clinical Research, Head of Chronic Infection, in a press release on September 20, 2023.

“We are hopeful that our unique approach will help close the longstanding public health gap in HIV prevention.”

VIR-1388 was developed using applied learnings from VIR-1111, the Company’s initial investigational proof-of-concept HIV T cell vaccine based on HCMV.

The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation financially support the clinical study. 

The U.S. CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report publishes public health information and recommendations on HIV.