Testing for Safety and Immune Effects of PDS0101, an Anti-HPV Therapy, Among People Living With HIV

Summary

This study is testing the immunotherapeutic agent, PDS0101, in adults living with HIV who are also infected with human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16. The purpose of the study is to learn whether PDS0101 is safe and whether it can help the body's immune system respond to HPV 16. Researchers will enroll 27 adults between the ages of 25 and 65 who have been receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) for at least 12 months, have a cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) cell count of at least 200 cells/mm³, and have an HIV viral load below 200 copies/mL. All participants must have HPV 16 detected in the cervix, vagina, or anus. Some participants will have high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL), a condition that can lead to cancer. At least 10 participants will have cervical HSIL, and at least 10 will have anal HSIL. Participants with both cervical and anal HSIL will count in both groups. Others may have HPV 16 without HSIL.

This is a single-arm, open-label trial, which means that all participants will receive the same treatment, and both the investigators and the participants will know what the treatment is. Each participant will receive three doses of the PDS0101 vaccine. Participants who receive at least one dose will be included in the study's main safety analysis. If a participant does not receive all three doses and does not experience a serious side effect related to the vaccine (defined as a Grade 3 or higher toxicity), that participant may be replaced to make sure that 27 participants either complete the full vaccination schedule or experience a primary safety event. Participants who do have a qualifying safety event will not be replaced. Even if someone stops the study early, their data will still be included in the final analysis.

The main goals of this study are to evaluate the safety of PDS0101 and to measure the immune response it produces. The safety evaluation includes monitoring for serious or unexpected side effects, especially those that are Grade 3 or higher in severity. The immune response will be assessed by looking at how the body's T cells respond to HPV 16 after PDS0101 administration. The total time a participant is involved in the study includes the PDS0101 administration period and several follow-up visits, which may take place over the course of several months. This research may help inform future strategies for preventing or treating HPV-related disease in people living with HIV.

Conditions

• HPV Associated Cancers
• HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)
• Anal Cancer
• Cervical Cancer
• HPV 16 Infection

Interventions

BIOLOGICAL

PDS0101

PDS0101 is an HPV 16-targeted immunotherapy administered as two subcutaneous injections of 0.5 mL each (total 1.0 mL). Each dose contains 3.0 mg of Versamune®, a proprietary cationic lipid nanoparticle adjuvant, and 2.7 mg of HPVmix, a blend of HPV16 E6 and E7 proteins. Versamune® enhances antigen uptake and dendritic cell activation, promoting T-cell priming and memory formation. In preclinical studies, subcutaneous administration resulted in low systemic bioavailability (\<6%) and efficient dendritic cell uptake, consistent with a favorable safety profile. PDS0101 has been studied in a completed Phase I trial in HIV-uninfected women with high-risk HPV and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) I. Each participant in this study will receive three doses, spaced 21 days apart (± 7 days) unless there has been Grade 3 or greater toxicity at least possibly related to the study agent.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Puerto Rico

  collaborator OTHER

• Montefiore Medical Center

  collaborator OTHER

• Albert Einstein College of Medicine

  collaborator OTHER

• University of California, San Diego

  collaborator OTHER

• H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute

  collaborator OTHER

• National Cancer Institute (NCI)

  collaborator NIH

• Emory University

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Maryland, Baltimore

  collaborator OTHER

• Weill Medical College of Cornell University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Grant Ellsworth, MD, MS · Weill Medical College of Cornell University

• Timothy Wilkin, MD, MPH · University of California, San Diego

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

25 Years

Max Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-10-20

Primary Completion

2026-07-31

Completion

2026-07-31

FDA Drug

Yes

Countries

• United States
• Puerto Rico

Study Locations