USA—Gilead Sciences has reinforced its leadership in HIV research by acquiring an experimental HIV vaccine from Spanish biotech company Aelix Therapeutics.
The two companies began working together in 2018 to test the combination of Aelix’s vaccine with Gilead’s antiviral drug, vesatolimod, in HIV-infected patients.
This latest development sees Gilead taking over the vaccine, which features an innovative HIVACAT T-cell immunogen (HTI).
The HTI vaccine, designed to train the immune system to target the most vulnerable parts of the HIV virus, has shown promise in Phase I and Phase II clinical trials.
In February 2023, Aelix shared positive results from the Phase II AELIX-003 trial, where the vaccine, used alongside vesatolimod, achieved its primary and secondary goals for safety, tolerability, and immune response in individuals with HIV on antiretroviral therapy.
Aelix Therapeutics, a spin-off from the HIVACAT research consortium in Catalonia, Spain, has pioneered the HTI immunogen design.
Commenting on the acquisition, Thomas Hecht, Executive Chairman of Aelix, expressed his enthusiasm about Gilead’s commitment to advancing the vaccine.
He highlighted the vaccine’s potential role in the broader effort to find a cure for HIV and thanked early investors, such as Ysios Capital, for their vision in supporting the project.
Christian Brander, Aelix’s chief scientific officer and co-founder, emphasized the significance of Gilead’s involvement, noting that the pharmaceutical giant has the resources to explore the vaccine’s potential further.
Brander and his colleagues discovered the HTI immunogen at IrsiCaixa, a leading HIV research center in Spain.
Gilead, already a key player in HIV treatment and prevention, has several blockbuster drugs, including Biktarvy and Descovy, which together generated US$13.8 billion in sales in 2023.
The company is also advancing other innovative treatments, such as Sunlenca (lenacapavir), approved in late 2022 for patients resistant to other HIV medications.
Sunlenca is being studied as a twice-yearly preventive treatment (PrEP), with trials in South Africa and Uganda showing remarkable efficacy.
Gilead signed agreements in October 2024 with six generic manufacturers to improve access to its medicines to provide lenacapavir in 120 low- and middle-income countries.
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