Orion Biotechnology Successfully accomplishes Phase 1 Clinical Trial of a First-in-Class Precision Engineered Ligand Analog for HIV Prevention

Orion Biotechnology Canada Ltd., a clinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on precision engineering GPCR-targeted therapeutics, today announced the results of their Phase 1 study of OB-002H which is an investigational candidate microbicide for HIV prevention. The Phase 1 study was a first-in-man trial designed to evaluate the safety, acceptability, and pharmacokinetic profile of OB-002H gel. OB-002, a highly potent chemokine analog of CCL5 (a ligand for the CCR5 HIV co-receptor), has previously been shown to be completely protective in a non-human primate model of vaginal HIV transmission (Veazey R et al. JID 2009). The Phase 1 study design included open-label single-dose (vaginal and rectal) and multi-dose product (vaginal) administration of OB-002H gel to study participants followed by a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled multi-dose (vaginal) phase of product administration. During the multi-dose phase of the study, participants received study product once daily for five days. The study enrolled a total of 30 healthy volunteers in Warsaw, Poland at the BioVirtus Phase 1 Research Site. The product was well tolerated, and product-related genital adverse events were mild (Grade 1) or moderate (Grade 2) and transient.