Optimizing Reversal of HIV Latency With Combination Therapy

Rationale Despite advances in antiretroviral therapy (ART) that nowadays can fully suppress HIV replication, HIV treatment still has to be taken lifelong due to the persistence of a latent HIV reservoir. This reservoir consists of long-lived memory T-cells in which HIV persists as provirus in the host genome. There is minimal proviral transcriptional activity, and the elimination of these reservoir cells is prohibited by limited antigen recognition and elimination by the immune system. When antiretroviral treatment is stopped, the virus almost universally rebounds from its reservoir, and if left untreated will result in HIV disease progression. Intensive research efforts over the last decade is focused on finding a definitive cure for HIV that would allow people to safely stop their ART without risking viral rebound. One such cure strategy aims to reverse HIV in the reservoir from latency by increasing cell-associated HIV-RNA, which will lead to increased antigen presentation, trigger immune recognition, and facilitate the elimination of reservoir cells (so-called 'shock and kill' approach to HIV cure). Several latency reversal agents have been identified to reactivate HIV transcription in the reservoir. Though current single latency reversal agents are effective in achieving this to a limited extent, they have not resulted in significant HIV reservoir reduction. One explanation could be that a stronger reactivation is needed. As such, we aim to study novel combinations of promising latency-reversing agents with different drug targets to improve HIV latency reversal within the viral reservoir. Study design: Open label randomized controlled trial. Study population: 49 adult people with HIV-1 Intervention: The investigational drugs are panobinostat, lenalidomide, and pyrimethamine. Patients will be randomized 1:1:1:1:1:1:1 to one of 7 arms to receive a combination of two investigational drugs, one investigational drug or no interventional treatment. Arm 1: control Arm 2: panobinostat 20mg once orally Arm 3: lenalidomide 25mg once orally Arm 4: pyrimethamine 200mg once orally Arm 5: panobinostat 20mg once orally and lenalidomide 25mg once orally. Arm 6: panobinostat 20mg once orally and pyrimethamine 200mg once orally. Arm 7: lenalidomide 25mg once orally and pyrimethamine 200mg once orally. Procedures All participants will have a screening visit including a leukapheresis or venous blood sampling before the intervention between T= -1 to -60 days. Subsequent blood sampling by phlebotomy is at T=0-hour (day 0) before drug administration, and T=2 hours, T=6 hours, T=24 hours (day 1), and T= 2 months (60 days) post study drug administration. An optional second leukapheresis instead of blood sampling by phlebotomy at the last sampling time point is possible. Clinical assessments are at days 0, 1, and 7. Clinical assessment at day 7 can optionally be remote.