Immune-modulating drugs, such as Anktiva (N-803), might help broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) work better to control HIV. Anktiva, approved last year for bladder cancer treatment, is an interleukin-15 receptor superagonist that activates natural killer cells and enhances CD4 and CD8 T-cell activity. It also appears to have latency-reversing properties, suggesting it might be part of a “kick and kill” HIV cure strategy to flush dormant virus out of hiding. A Phase I study enrolled 28 people with chronic HIV who had sustained viral suppression on antiretroviral therapy. They received single infusions of two bnAbs, 3BNC117-LS and 10-1074-LS, plus up to eight injections of Anktiva. Among 24 participants who undertook an analytic treatment interruption, 58% remained off antiretrovirals at six months, nearly a third did not need to resume treatment after a year and one was still in remission after more than 30 months. However, the study had no control group taking the bnAbs alone, making it difficult to tease out the added benefit of Anktiva.
HIV virus particles (purple) budding and replicating from an H9 T cell (green) NIAD
Cure: Anktiva Plus bnAbs
Anktiva was approved last year for bladder cancer treatment.
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