Vaccine shows promise in curing HIV, says Hong Kong biotech start-up

A Hong Kong biotech company said its therapeutic HIV vaccine showed “promising” results in a recent clinical trial, taking it one step closer to offering patients an alternative to antiretroviral therapy, and eventually a functional cure for the virus that causes Aids.

Developed by Immuno Cure, based in Hong Kong Science Park, ICVAX demonstrated “exceptional safety and promising immunogenicity profiles” during its first-phase clinical trial carried out at the Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, the company said. Forty-five people took part in the trial.

Unlike traditional vaccines which are preventive, therapeutic vaccines are designed to be administered after an infection occurs. Most participants who received the optimal ICVAX dose saw a more than twofold jump in T-cell response, according to the firm. T cells, a type of white blood cells, attack and kill infected cells.

All reported “treatment-related adverse events” were mild, the company added.

Immuno Cure said it plans to share its findings in scientific conferences and a peer-reviewed journal. Data from the first-phase trial will be submitted to regulatory agencies for review.