Gilead Sciences partner with Gritstone on therapeutic HIV vaccine

The deal between Gilead Sciences and Gritstone Oncology, set to be worth between $60 million and $725 million, is for a joint effort to research and develop a vaccine-based immunotherapy to cure HIV.

Gilead has spent time developing its antigen research whilst Gritstone has a proven vaccine platform based on self-amplifying mRNA and adenovirus vectors. The therapeutic vaccine will be designed to “prime and boost” the bodies anti-HIV immune responses.

Diana Brainard, MD, Senior Vice President, Virology Therapeutic Area, Gilead Sciences said:

“While HIV treatment has advanced dramatically over the past three decades, people living with HIV still face a lifetime of therapy,

“Curing HIV remains the ultimate aspiration for Gilead’s HIV research and development efforts. Gritstone’s vaccine technology has the potential to educate the immune system to specifically recognize and destroy HIV-infected cells by leveraging SAM and adenoviral vectors. This, along with our other partnerships and internal programs, reflects Gilead’s commitment to continuing innovation to discover a cure for HIV and bring about an end to the HIV epidemic.”

Gilead will be responsible for conducting a Phase I study for the HIV-specific therapeutic vaccine and has the option to develop and commercialize the vaccine beyond Phase I, whilst Gritstone will manufacture the candidate vaccines – likely at one of its US locations.