Genetic Immunity, Inc.

PHPC-02 is a phase II, randomized, placebo-controlled trial designed to investigate whether therapeutic immunization during highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) induces elevations of HIV-specific T cell precursors with high proliferative capacity (PHPC) in HIV-1-infected individuals, and whether the quantity of PHPC correlates with the viral load set point following analytical treatment interruption (ATI). Subjects will be randomized to receive either DermaVir Patch (8 subjects per cohort) or DermaVir Patch Placebo (8 subjects per cohort) every four weeks for three applications while receiving maximally suppressive HAART. HAART will be discontinued at Week 9 for an ATI period of 20 weeks.

DermaVir is a synthetic pathogen-like nanomedicine. The active pharmaceutical ingredient is a single plasmid DNA expressing fifteen HIV antigens that assemble to HIV-like particles. These particles are safe; replication, integration and reverse transcription deficient. DermaVir is targeted to Langerhans cells by topical administration with DermaPrep. Langerhans cells with DermaVir migrate to lymph nodes and induce HIV-specific T cells that can kill HIV-infected cells.
GIEU006 is a Phase II randomized, placebo-controlled, dose-finding, double-blinded, multicenter study to assess the safety, tolerability, immunogenicity, and preliminary antiretroviral activity of DermaVir in antiretroviral therapy naïve adults with HIV-infection.

DermaVir is a plasmid DNA-containing synthetic nanomedicine. It is administered topically with DermaPrep to target Langerhans cells. Langerhans cells with DermaVir migrate to lymph nodes and express HIV-like particles that induce immune responses to kill HIV-infected cells.
Hypothesis: Single DermaVir immunization is safe and immunogenic measured by induction of HIV-specific precursor/memory T cell responses.
GIHU004 was a phase I dose escalation study conducted in Hungary. It evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of three dosing regimens of topical DermaVir immunization for the treatment of HIV-infected individuals on fully suppressive highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).