- 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.
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