Friday, May 9, 2025
5/9/2025
LASER ART for PreP - Abstract This project contains a highly collaborative investigative team with interdisciplinary expertise with significant potential impact for HIV/AIDS prevention. The proposal includes pharmacologic, virologic, animal and product development studies designed to halt disease transmission through novel long-acting (LA) antiretrovirals. These are named LA slow effective release antiretroviral therapies (LASER ART) designed to facilitate HIV-1 prevention by intense bench to the clinic translational studies. Innovative interdisciplinary approaches contain a detailed research plan, extensive preliminary and broadly published supportive data. Creativity and innovativeness are offered placed at higher risk than a conventional research project. The work builds on the development of parenteral nanoformulations of chemically modified antiretroviral drugs designed to improve adherence. The drugs are currently offered once/day in pill form but will be converted to up to once a year administration. Support from expert pharmacologists and pharmaceutical scientists with University researchers are operative. The drugs include dolutegravir (DTG), emtricitabine (FTC) and tenofovir (TFV) created to extend their apparent drug half-life, efficacy and abilities to target viral reservoirs. They are, in measure, DTG and FTC and TFV prodrug + nucleotide (ProTides) designated “N” for nanoformulation, “M” for esterification and “P” for ProTides. The created NPFTC and NPTFV and NM2DTG demonstrate sustained plasma and tissue drug concentrations of > 90% inhibitory concentration from months to a year. Based on encouraging results, we seek funds to facilitate large scale development that would facilitate future human studies. The final formulations would be characterized by sustained prodrug hydrolysis with reduced injection volumes. The pathway forward follows established partnership with the Clinton Health Access Initiative and oversight by ViiV Healthcare and Gilead Sciences. The overarching goal is safety, reproducibility and “scale-up” that follows US Food and Drug Administration-approved current good manufacturing practices (cGMP). The specific aims are each supported by extensive published data sets forged through the multidisciplinary research. Creation and characterization focus on prodrug formulations, toxicology, and pharmacokinetics profiles follow a safe developmental action plan. The work is facilitated by a fully operational cGMP facility and rhesus macaque validations. The lead formulation will be developed with our CHAI partners. We posit that the creation of LASER ART DTG or FTC and TFV will have a profound impact on HIV prevention.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).