Therapeutic Vaccination in Treated HIV Disease

• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03606213
• Recruitment Status: Completed
• First Posted: July 30, 2018
• Last Update Posted: April 6, 2022
• Sponsor: Steven Deeks
• Collaborators: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); University of California, Los Angeles; Inovio Pharmaceuticals
• Information provided by (Responsible Party): Steven Deeks, University of California, San Francisco

Study Description

Brief Summary:

The central premise of our program is that durable control of HIV in the absence of antiretroviral therapy ("remission") will require the generation of de novo potent and sustained HIV-specific CD8+ cell responses that target evolutionarily conserved epitopes. Our program is inspired by the recent success of VGX-3100 (Inovio), a DNA therapeutic vaccine for HPV that leads to histopathologic regression of pre-malignant lesions in people and is associated with a potent, sustained boost to HPV-specific CD8+ T cell populations. A closely related multi-clade gag/pol/env DNA vaccine administered with an IL-12 DNA plasmid (PENNVAX, Inovio) has been studied for HIV prevention and is known to be both safe and highly immunogenic. In a randomized placebo-controlled study we will compare the immunogenicity and anti-reservoir activities of gag/pol DNA versus gag/pol/env DNA (both administered with IL-12). We will determine for the first time in established HIV disease whether presence of env in a DNA vaccine blunts T cell responses to more conserved Gag-specific and Pol-specific epitopes. We will also determine if Env-specific responses (which will presumably be mediated by antibodies and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, or ADCC) have a measurable effect on reservoir.

Condition or disease	Intervention/treatment	Phase
HIV-1-infection	Biological: PENNVAX-GP; Biological: INO-6145; Biological: INO-9012; Device: CELLECTRA® 2000	Phase 1; Phase 2

Study Design

• Study Type: Interventional (Clinical Trial)
• Actual Enrollment: 56 participants
• Allocation: Randomized
• Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single (Participant)
• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Official Title: Safety, Immunogenicty and Anti-Reservoir Activity of an Electroporation-Administered HIV DNA Vaccine Encoding GAG, POL and ENV Proteins With IL-12 Plasmid in HIV-Infected Adults on Antriretroviral Therapy.
• Actual Study Start Date: August 1, 2018
• Actual Primary Completion Date: May 17, 2021
• Actual Study Completion Date: May 17, 2021

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/treatment
Placebo Comparator: Cohort A - Arm 1; Placebo will be administered by electoporation at Day 0 and Weeks 4, 8 and 12	Device: CELLECTRA® 2000; Electroporation (EP) is a technology in which an electrical field is applied to increase the permeability of cell membranes and thereby enhance the uptake of drugs, vaccines, or other agents into target cells. This technology has been used in the last decade in both therapeutics and vaccinations. EP is currently being used to deliver cancer vaccines and therapeutics as well as in gene therapy. The expression levels are increased by as much as 3 orders of magnitude over plasmid injection alone.; Other Name: Electroporation device
Active Comparator: Cohort A - Arm 2; Active gag/pol, env and IL-12 plasmids (PENNVAX-GP and INO-9102)) administered by electoporation (CELLECTRA-2000) at Day 0 and Weeks 4, 8 and 12.	Biological: PENNVAX-GP; PENNVAX®-GP is a circular, double stranded, deoxyribonucleic acid consisting of expression plasmids that encode synthetic HIV-1 multiclade consensus Gag, Pol and Env proteins.; Other Name: HIV DNA vaccine; Biological: INO-9012; The IL-12 DNA adjuvant (INO-9012) consists of a single plasmid containing a dual promoter system for expression of both the IL-12 p35 and p40 genes necessary for production of the active heterodimeric (p70) IL-12 protein.; Other Name: IL-12 DNA adjuvant; Device: CELLECTRA® 2000; Electroporation (EP) is a technology in which an electrical field is applied to increase the permeability of cell membranes and thereby enhance the uptake of drugs, vaccines, or other agents into target cells. This technology has been used in the last decade in both therapeutics and vaccinations. EP is currently being used to deliver cancer vaccines and therapeutics as well as in gene therapy. The expression levels are increased by as much as 3 orders of magnitude over plasmid injection alone.; Other Name: Electroporation device
Active Comparator: Cohort A - Arm 3; Active gag/pol and IL-12 plasmids (INO-6145 INO-9012) will be administered by electroporation (CELLECTRA-2000) at Day 0 and Weeks 4, 8 and 12.	Biological: INO-6145; INO-6145 is a circular, double stranded, deoxyribonucleic acid consisting of expression plasmids that encode synthetic HIV-1 multiclade consensus Gag and Pol proteins.; Other Name: HIV DNA vaccine; Biological: INO-9012; The IL-12 DNA adjuvant (INO-9012) consists of a single plasmid containing a dual promoter system for expression of both the IL-12 p35 and p40 genes necessary for production of the active heterodimeric (p70) IL-12 protein.; Other Name: IL-12 DNA adjuvant; Device: CELLECTRA® 2000; Electroporation (EP) is a technology in which an electrical field is applied to increase the permeability of cell membranes and thereby enhance the uptake of drugs, vaccines, or other agents into target cells. This technology has been used in the last decade in both therapeutics and vaccinations. EP is currently being used to deliver cancer vaccines and therapeutics as well as in gene therapy. The expression levels are increased by as much as 3 orders of magnitude over plasmid injection alone.; Other Name: Electroporation device
Active Comparator: Cohort B - Arm 1; A single arm study of gag/pol/env/IL-12 DNA plasmids PENNVAX-GP and INO-9102) administered by electoporation (CELLECTRA-2000) will be performed in HIV-infected adults for whom ART was initiated during acute HIV infection.	Biological: PENNVAX-GP; PENNVAX®-GP is a circular, double stranded, deoxyribonucleic acid consisting of expression plasmids that encode synthetic HIV-1 multiclade consensus Gag, Pol and Env proteins.; Other Name: HIV DNA vaccine; Biological: INO-9012; The IL-12 DNA adjuvant (INO-9012) consists of a single plasmid containing a dual promoter system for expression of both the IL-12 p35 and p40 genes necessary for production of the active heterodimeric (p70) IL-12 protein.; Other Name: IL-12 DNA adjuvant; Device: CELLECTRA® 2000; Electroporation (EP) is a technology in which an electrical field is applied to increase the permeability of cell membranes and thereby enhance the uptake of drugs, vaccines, or other agents into target cells. This technology has been used in the last decade in both therapeutics and vaccinations. EP is currently being used to deliver cancer vaccines and therapeutics as well as in gene therapy. The expression levels are increased by as much as 3 orders of magnitude over plasmid injection alone.; Other Name: Electroporation device

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures :

1. The proportion of participants with grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events as defined by the Division of AIDS (DAIDS) Table for Grading the Severity of Adult and Pediatric Adverse Events, Corrected Version 2.1 [ Time Frame: Week 64 ]
   Counts and proportions of adverse events will be presented in frequency tables and characterized for each arm with 95% Clopper-Pearson Confidence Intervals.
2. The change in the magnitude and breadth of T cell responses will be evaluated by the IFN-γ enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot) assay. [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 14 ]
   Gag-specific responses will be characterized in detail via matrix mapping, while pools of 15 overlapping peptides will used to evaluate responses to Pol, Env and Nef (internal control).

Secondary Outcome Measures :

1. HIV reservoir size [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 64 ]
   Frequency of circulating CD4+ T cells harboring replication-competent HIV as measured using multiplex digital droplet PCR assay to quantify the total number of intact proviruses.

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 Years to 65 Years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Sexes Eligible for Study: All
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Willing and able to provide written informed consent
2. Male or female, age ≥ 18 and ≤ 65 years
3. HIV-1 infection, documented by any licensed rapid HIV test or HIV enzyme or chemiluminescence immunoassay (E/CIA) test kit at any time prior to study entry and confirmed by a licensed Western blot or a second antibody test by a method other than the initial rapid HIV and/or E/CIA, or by HIV-1 antigen or plasma HIV-1 RNA viral load.
4. For Cohort A participants, ART initiated during chronic infection (e.g., more than 6 months after estimated date of infection, or as determined by site investigator and/or available medical records).
5. For Cohort B participants, ART initiated during "hyperacute" HIV infection (Fiebig I/II) or early HIV infection (Fiebig III/IV).
6. On continuous antiretroviral therapy for at least 24 months without any interruptions of greater than 14 consecutive days, and on a stable regimen for at least 8 weeks, without plans to modify ART during the study period
7. Screening plasma HIV RNA levels < 40 copies/mL on all available determinations in past 24 months (isolated single values ≥ 40 but < 200 copies/mL will be allowed if they were preceded and followed by undetectable viral load determinations)
8. Screening CD4+ T-cell count ≥ 350 cells/mm3
9. Creatinine Clearance (CrCl) > 60 mL/min via Cockroft-Gault method at screening

10. The following laboratory criteria must be met at screening:

    • Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1000 neutrophils/mm3
    • Hemoglobin ≥ 10.0 g/dL
    • Platelet count ≥ 100,000/uL
    • Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≤ 2x upper limit of normal (ULN)
    • Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≤ 2x ULN

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Pregnant, breastfeeding, or unwilling to practice birth control during participation in the study

a. Acceptable birth control is defined as the following: i. For female participants of childbearing potential, two of the following forms of contraception are required, one of which must be a barrier method:

1. Condoms (male of female) with or without a spermicidal agent 2. Diaphragm or cervical cap with spermicide 3. Intrauterine device (IUD) with published data showing that expected failure rate is < 1% per year 4. Tubal ligation 5. Hormone-based contraceptive such as oral birth control pills ii. Male participants participating in sexual activity that could lead to pregnancy must agree to at least one reliable method of contraception of the above listed 2. Active malignancy requiring systemic chemotherapy or surgery in the preceding 3 months or for whom such therapies are expected in the subsequent 6 months 3. Active (untreated) HCV or HBV infection 4. Decompensated liver disease as defined by the presence of ascites, encephalopathy, esophageal or gastric varices, or persistent jaundice 5. Serious illness requiring systemic treatment and/or hospitalization in the 3 months prior to study enrollment 6. Concurrent treatment with immunomodulatory drugs, and/or exposure to any immunomodulatory drug in the 4 weeks prior to study enrollment (e.g. corticosteroid therapy equal to or exceeding a dose of 15 mg/day of prednisone for more than 10 days, IL-2, interferon-alpha, methotrexate, cancer chemotherapy). NOTE: use of inhaled or nasal steroid is not exclusionary.

7. Serious medical or psychiatric illness that, in the opinion of the site investigator, would interfere with the ability to adhere to study requirements or to give informed consent.

8. Active drug or alcohol use or dependence that, in the opinion of the site investigator, would interfere with adherence to study requirements or to give informed consent.

9. Unable to undergo leukapheresis procedure 10. Acute or chronic bleeding or clotting disorder that would contraindicate IM injections or use of blood thinners (e.g. anticoagulants or antiplatelet drugs) within 2 weeks of Day 0; 11. Less than two acceptable sites available for IM injection considering the deltoid and anterolateral quadriceps muscles; 12. Tattoos, keloids or hypertrophic scars located within 2 cm of intended treatment site; 13. Cardioverter-defibrillator or pacemaker (to prevent a life-threatening arrhythmia) that is located in ipsilateral deltoid injection site (unless deemed acceptable by a cardiologist); 14. Metal implants or implantable medical device within the intended treatment site (i.e. electroporation area)

Contacts and Locations

Locations

United States, California

University of California, Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California, United States, 90025

Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG)

San Francisco, California, United States, 94110

Sponsors and Collaborators

Steven Deeks

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

University of California, Los Angeles

Inovio Pharmaceuticals

Investigators

• Principal Investigator: Steven Deeks, MD; University of California, San Francisco

More Information

• Responsible Party: Steven Deeks, Professor, University of California, San Francisco
• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03606213
• Other Study ID Numbers: DAIDS-ES 38409; U01AI131296 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract )
• First Posted: July 30, 2018
• Last Update Posted: April 6, 2022
• Last Verified: April 2022

Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:

• Plan to Share IPD: No

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: Yes
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: No

Keywords provided by Steven Deeks, University of California, San Francisco:

HIV Vaccine; Electroporation

Additional relevant MeSH terms:

Vaccines; Immunologic Factors; Physiological Effects of Drugs