HE2000 is a synthetic steroid hormone that, when tested in the laboratory, had anti-viral activity against wild-type and drug-resistant variants of HIV. HE2000 works through a natural biochemical mechanism in cells to make them less able to support viral infection.
There are 4 treatment groups of increasing doses of HE2000; each group consists of 2 parts (Part A and B). Part A is a single administration of HE2000 injected intramuscularly, and Part B is 5 consecutive daily intramuscular injections of HE2000. Patients receive the same dosage throughout Parts A and B of the study. Patients are asked to return to the clinic periodically for blood sample collection. Patients may remain at the hospital overnight for pharmacokinetic evaluation. Drug safety, tolerance, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics are measured. Samples from treatment Group 4 are analyzed for specific cell function.