Insights into Vesatolimod

Gilead’s investigational HIV therapy, vesatolimod, is an oral, selective, small molecule, toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonist.

In a recent study, vesatolimod, was shown to be safe and well tolerated in people living with HIV.

The company announced results from the study during International AIDS Society (IAS) AIDS 2020 Virtual Sessions.

They enrolled 25 HIV controllers (pre-ART viral load 50-5000 c/mL) on ART. Within the participants, 17 were given biweekly vesatolimod 4-8 mg (dose escalated within-individual) for 10 doses, and 8 of the participants were administered a placebo.

Vesatolimod induced a dose-dependent increase of interferon stimulated mRNAs (ISGs: ISG15, MX1, and OAS1) and cytokines/chemokines (ITAC, IP-10, IL1ra and IFN-aa).

“The ISG inductions plateaued at 6 mg with mean increase from baseline of 19-, 8- and 6-fold for ISG15, MX1, and OAS1, respectively. The minimal dose of VES where consistent and detectable cytokine/chemokines occurred was at 6 mg, with mean concentrations of 49, 368, 1834, and 0.6 pg/ml for ITAC, IP- 10, IL1ra, and IFN-aaarespectively,” investigators wrote. HIV-specific T cell responses as assessed by intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) increased from baseline in some VES-treated participants.”

In the first segment of an interview with Contagion® during the conference, Gilead’s Romas Gelezinuas, executive director, Biology and Devi SenGupta, MD, senior director, Clinical Research, Virology discuss the HIV investigational therapy including providing some insights into its mechanism of action, as well as what was learned in their study.