A Randomised Clinical Trial of the Safety and Pharmacokinetics of VRC07-523LS Administered via Different Routes and Doses (HVTN 127/HPTN 087)

BackgroundBroadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) are a promising approach for HIV-1 prevention. In the only bnAb HIV prevention efficacy studies to date, the Antibody Mediated Prevention (AMP) trials, a CD4-binding site targeting bnAb, VRC01, administered intravenously (IV), demonstrated 75% prevention efficacy against highly neutralization-sensitive viruses but was ineffective against less sensitive viruses. Greater efficacy is required before passively administered bnAbs become a viable option for HIV prevention; furthermore subcutaneous (SC) or intramuscular (IM) administration may be preferred. VRC07-523LS is a next-generation bnAb targeting the CD4-binding site and was engineered for increased neutralization breadth and half-life. MethodsParticipants were recruited between 02 February 2018 and 09 October 2018. 124 healthy participants without HIV were randomized to receive five VRC07-523LS administrations via IV (T1: 2.5 mg/kg, T2: 5 mg/kg, T3: 20 mg/kg), SC (T4: 2.5 mg/kg, T5: 5 mg/kg) or IM (T6: 2.5 mg/kg or P6: placebo) routes at four-month intervals. Safety data were collected for 144 weeks following the first administration. VRC07-523LS serum concentrations were measured by ELISA after the first dose through Day 112 in all participants and by binding antibody multiplex assay (BAMA) thereafter in 60 participants (10 per treatment group) through Day 784. Compartmental population pharmacokinetic (PK) analyses were conducted to evaluate the VRC07-523LS serum pharmacokinetics. Neutralization activity was measured in a TZM-bl assay and anti-drug antibodies (ADA) were assayed using a tiered bridging assay testing strategy. ResultsInjections were well-tolerated, with mild pain or tenderness reported commonly in the SC and IM groups, and mild to moderate erythema or induration reported commonly in the SC groups. Infusions were generally well-tolerated, with infusion reactions reported in 3 of 20 participants in the 20 mg/kg IV group. Peak geometric mean (GM) concentrations (95% confidence intervals) following the first administration were 29.0 g/mL (25.2, 33.4), 58.5 g/mL (49.4, 69.3), and 257.2 g/mL (127.5, 518.9) in T1-T3 with IV dosing; 10.8 g/mL (8.8, 13.3) and 22.8 g/mL (20.1, 25.9) in T4-T5 with SC dosing; and 16.4 g/mL (14.7, 18.2) in T6 with IM dosing. Trough GM concentrations immediately prior to the second administration were 3.4 g/mL (2.5, 4.6), 6.5 g/mL (5.6, 7.5), and 27.2 g/mL (23.9, 31.0) with IV dosing; 0.97 g/mL (0.65, 1.4) and 3.1 g/mL (2.2, 4.3) with SC dosing, and 2.6 g/mL (2.05, 3.31) with IM dosing. Peak VRC07-523LS serum concentrations increased linearly with the administered dose. At a given dose, peak and trough concentrations, as well as serum neutralization titres, were highest in the IV groups, reflecting the lower bioavailability following SC and IM administration. A single participant was found to have low titre ADA at a lone timepoint. VRC07-523LS has an estimated mean half-life of 42 days (95% CI: 40.5, 43.5), approximately twice as long as VRC01. ConclusionsVRC07-523LS was safe and well-tolerated across a range of doses and routes and is a promising long-acting bnAb for inclusion in HIV-1 prevention regimens.