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Inhibiting the Anti-apoptotic Factor, BCL-2, at the Time of ART Initiation to Promote Apoptosis of HIV-infected Cells and Restrict the Seeding of the HIV Reservoir (The INITIATE Study)

NCT07481175 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: PHASE1 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 38

Last updated 2026-05-07

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Combination therapy with antiretroviral medication (ART) has proven effective in keeping HIV suppressed and restoring the immune system, but it cannot cure the infection. Therefore, lifelong treatment is necessary. The reason for this is a reservoir of inactive virus that remains hidden in long-lived cells and cannot be eliminated by either HIV treatment or the immune system. This reservoir is the primary barrier to a cure for HIV and must be minimized or eliminated in order to make it possible to discontinue lifelong ART treatment.

Several studies have been conducted with the aim of reducing the reservoir of inactive virus. The drugs used have been able to activate the virus in resting infected cells, thereby making the virus visible to the immune system. Unfortunately, this type of experimental treatment has not been sufficient to reduce the reservoir of inactive HIV in long-lived cells, possibly because these cells do not undergo cell death to a sufficient degree due to specific alterations in the mechanisms of cell death signaling.

The drug venetoclax (Venclyxto) is an inhibitor of BCL-2 (B Cell Lymphoma-2), a key factor involved in the regulation of programmed cell death. Studies have shown increased BCL-2 activity in long-lived cells infected with HIV. In laboratory experiments, we have demonstrated that treating cells with venetoclax while simultaneously activating HIV can lead to the elimination of HIV-infected cells. In experiments with HIV-infected humanized mice receiving ART, we further found that treatment with venetoclax delayed viral rebound after interruption of ART compared with mice that were not treated with venetoclax.

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether treatment with venetoclax in people with HIV who are initiating HIV therapy can promote the death of latently infected cells and thereby lead to a reduction in the latent HIV reservoir. The study will examine the safety and the effect of venetoclax.

Conditions

Interventions

DRUG

Venetoclax

Venetoclax 200 mg will be given daily on days 0-14, days 35-49 and days 70-84. Study visits and blood draws will be done at days 0, 7, 14, 35, 49, 70, 84, 126, 252 and 365

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital

    collaborator OTHER

  • Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research

    collaborator OTHER

  • The Alfred

    collaborator OTHER

  • Aarhus University Hospital

    collaborator OTHER

  • Thomas Aagaard Rasmussen

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
70 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-04-13
Primary Completion
2030-01-31
Completion
2030-01-31

Countries

  • Denmark
  • Spain

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Drugs
Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07481175 on ClinicalTrials.gov