Benzinga | Apr 29, 2021 09:11AM EDT

ImmunityBio Announces Launch Of Phase 2 Trial Of IL-15 Superagonist Anktiva With Antiretroviral Therapy To Inhibit HIV Reservoirs

Phase 2 Study Sponsored by U.S. Military HIV Research Program, Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre

ImmunityBio, Inc., a clinical-stage immunotherapy company, today announced that the U.S. Military HIV Research Program (MHRP) at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research has launched a Phase 2 clinical trial in Thailand to evaluate ImmunityBio's interleukin-15 (IL-15) superagonist Anktiva(r) (also called N-803) administered in combination with antiretroviral therapy (ART) during acute HIV infection as an experimental therapy to target and inhibit early establishment of HIV 'reservoirs' in infected individuals. Researchers will compare levels of HIV RNA and DNA in lymph node samples pre- and post-treatment and evaluate the therapy's effects on CD8+ T and natural killer (NK) immune cells. The study is being conducted at the Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre in Bangkok.