$10 Million Grant for Novel T Cell HIV Vaccine Development

Vir Biotechnology, Inc. today announced that it received a new $10 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support the Phase 1 clinical development of VIR-1388, an investigational novel T cell vaccine for the prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

VIR-1388 is based on the human cytomegalovirus vector platform and is designed to elicit T cells that recognize different HIV epitopes with the goal of creating a safe and effective HIV vaccine.

Through close scientific partnerships with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), the Phase 1 trial of VIR-1388 (HVTN 142) is expected to begin in the second half of 2023.

The trial will also be funded in part by NIAID, part of the National Institutes of Health, through grant funding to HVTN. In addition, NIAID has provided funding throughout the product development lifecycle of VIR-1388.

Rajesh Gupta, M.D., M.S., M.P.H., Vice President, Global Health Portfolio and Public-Private Partnerships at Vir Biotechnology, stated in a press release on May 2, 2023, “This new grant underscores the importance of our goal of developing innovative solutions for the prevention and treatment of global infectious diseases, including HIV. We look forward to advancing VIR-1388 into the clinic later this year.”

Vir’s support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation includes existing equity investments and grants for the development of therapies for the prevention and treatment of HIV, the prevention of tuberculosis, and the prevention of malaria.

Other HIV vaccine development news is posted by Precision Vaccinations.