Barinthus meets primary endpoint in Phase I/II trial of HPV therapy

Barinthus Biotherapeutics (formerly Vaccitech) released topline data from its Phase Ib/II APOLLO trial for HPV treatment, VTP-200. The randomized APOLLO trial (NCT04607850) met its primary safety endpoint, with VTP-200 showing good tolerance and no severe treatment-related adverse effects. The group receiving the highest ChAdOx vector dose in VTP-200 displayed the highest high-risk HPV (hrHPV) clearance rate of 60% and cervical clearance rate of 67% after 12 months. However, combining data from all active dose groups showed no significant improvement over the placebo group.

The study enrolled 108 women aged 25-55 with persistent hrHPV infection and low-grade cervical lesions, divided into a placebo group and five active groups receiving varying doses of ChAdOx and modified MVA vectors. VTP-200 consists of sequential ChAdOx and MVA vector doses, aiming to stimulate an antigen-specific T-cell immune response.

Another therapy in development for cervical lesions is Asieris Pharmaceuticals' Cevira (APL-1702), showing promising Phase III trial results, with an improved response rate and enhanced HPV clearance compared to placebo. Despite the FDA-approved Gardasil 9 vaccine, global HPV vaccine coverage remains limited.