A Pilot Phase II Evaluation of the Effects on HIV Replication of Immunization With a gp120-Depleted, Inactivated Whole Virus Vaccine Combined With Exposures to Replicating Autologous HIV by Scheduled Treatment Interruptions, a Rollover Study of A5057

Investigators of the pathogenesis of HIV infection agree that one of the most critical questions in HIV disease is why immune responses do not control HIV replication in the vast majority of infected individuals. More specifically, the absence of large lymphocyte proliferation response (LPR) to HIV antigens in these individuals, and their presence in long-term nonprogressors (LTNPs) with a low viral load, requires an investigation of whether a causal relationship exists between LPR to HIV and control of HIV replication. Immunization with Remune has been shown to induce large LPR to HIV antigens when administered to patients in whom HIV replication has been suppressed with antiretroviral therapy (ART). A5120 will evaluate the abilities of immunization with HIV-1 Immunogen and of STIs to enhance immune responses that may control HIV replication in the absence of antiretroviral drugs.

Patients remain in the treatment arm (vaccine versus adjuvant placebo) to which they were randomized on entry to protocol A5057, and both the participant and investigator remain blinded as to the assignment. Patients may receive up to 3 injections of vaccine/adjuvant control in 1 of the following 2 groups.

Arm A: HIV-1 immunogen at study entry and at Week 9 in Step 3 and Step 5. Arm B: HIV-1 immunogen placebo at study entry and at Week 9 in Step 3 and Step 5.

ART is required during Steps 1, 3, 5, and 8 but is not provided by this study. The study is organized into the following series of steps.

Step 1 (ART and injection): receive injection of vaccine/adjuvant control. Patients remain on ART for 6 to 8 weeks.