The study results of phase 1 trial HVTN 124 evaluating the safety and immunogenicity of polyvalent DNA/Protein vaccine (PDPHV) were presented at the AIDS 2024 conference in Munich, Germany on July 24 during The Quest for HIV Vaccines oral abstract session.
Presenter Dr. Ian Frank, Professor of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania and HVTN 124 protocol chair, on behalf of the HVTN 124 protocol team and investigators, summarized that the vaccine candidate was safe and, particularly, the prime-boost strategy was highly immunogenic against multiple HIV clades.
The presentation highlighted study data of high response rates and magnitudes of binding antibodies to multi-clade gp120/gp140 and V1V2 antigens, as well as ADCC and CD4+ T-cell responses. Dr. Frank also stressed that PDPHV elicited binding antibody responses associated with protection from HIV acquisition- as established by previous efficacy trials – that were higher than the protective immune responses seen in those past efficacy vaccine studies.
While these are very promising findings, they need to be evaluated in larger trials with a more diverse population. WHV and their trial partners are excited to soon conduct more advanced trials to further study the efficacy of PDPHV and to hopefully help guide the HIV vaccine field in designing an effective HIV vaccine.
