Drug Discovery and Development

  • Home Drug Discovery and Development
  • Drug Discovery
  • Women in Pharma and Biotech
  • Oncology
  • Neurological Disease
  • Infectious Disease
  • Resources
    • Video features
    • Podcast
    • Voices
    • Webinars
  • Pharma 50
    • 2025 Pharma 50
    • 2024 Pharma 50
    • 2023 Pharma 50
    • 2022 Pharma 50
    • 2021 Pharma 50
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE

Strong Immune Response Rates Seen in Inovio’s HIV Vaccine

By Ryan Bushey | May 25, 2017

New preliminary results suggest promise for a potent vaccine against HIV.

Inovio Pharmaceuticals announced its HIV vaccine candidate PENNVAX-GP produced the highest overall levels of immune response rates ever seen in a human study for this type of treatment.

The trial is supported by the HIV Vaccines Trial Network (HVTN) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

The study’s goal was to evaluate a four-dose regimen of PENNVAX-GP DNA vaccine in conjunction with an immune activator called IL-12. Investigators delivered the treatment via intradermal or intramuscular administration to 85 patients. Nine patients received a placebo as a control.

Essentially, the treatment regimen elicited a T-cell immune response in 93 percent of vaccinated subjects whereas 94 percent of subjects produced an antibody response. 

By contrast, none of the patients demonstrated a cellular or antibody response in the placebo group.

Another interesting finding is that similar immune responses and response rates were achieved through both administrations of the vaccine, but subjects who received the intradermal method got one-fifth the dose of the vaccine compared to the intramuscular administration.

“These results are among the highest ever responses we’ve seen with an HIV vaccine, and they are remarkably consistent with our recent data reported from our Ebola, Zika and MERS clinical trials in terms of demonstrating nearly 100% vaccine response rates with very favorable safety profile. Furthermore, our newer and more tolerable intradermal vaccine delivery device showed that we can elicit very high immune responses at a much lower dose,” said Inovio’s President and CEO Dr. J. Joseph Kim, in a statement.

PENNVAX-GP is comprised of four HIV antigens engineered to cover multiple global HIV strains in order to generate an antibody and T-cell immune response to simultaneously prevent and treat the pathogen.

Next, investigators will continue to assess the vaccine’s safety and efficacy profile. The company is also exploring a potential combination with Pennvax-GP and checkpoint inhibitor, reported FierceBiotech.

The project with Inovio has been funded through a $25 million contract previously awarded in Inovio and its partners in 2009.

Stephen De Rosa, the protocol co-chair of the study, presented these early-stage results at the 2017 HVTN Spring Full Group Meeting.


Filed Under: Drug Discovery

 

Related Articles Read More >

Sanders, King target DTC pharma ads but the industry worries more about threats to its $2B R&D model
Zoliflodacin wins FDA nod for treatment of gonorrhea
FDA approved ENFLONSIA for the prevention of RSV in Infants
First clinical study results of Dupixent for atopic dermatitis in patients with darker skin tones 
“ddd
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest news and trends happening now in the drug discovery and development industry.

MEDTECH 100 INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.
Drug Discovery and Development
  • MassDevice
  • DeviceTalks
  • Medtech100 Index
  • Medical Design Sourcing
  • Medical Design & Outsourcing
  • Medical Tubing + Extrusion
  • Subscribe to our E-Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • R&D World
  • Drug Delivery Business News
  • Pharmaceutical Processing World

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Drug Discovery & Development

  • Home Drug Discovery and Development
  • Drug Discovery
  • Women in Pharma and Biotech
  • Oncology
  • Neurological Disease
  • Infectious Disease
  • Resources
    • Video features
    • Podcast
    • Voices
    • Webinars
  • Pharma 50
    • 2025 Pharma 50
    • 2024 Pharma 50
    • 2023 Pharma 50
    • 2022 Pharma 50
    • 2021 Pharma 50
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE