Norwegian company Bionor Pharma is in talks with the U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA) about a possible collaboration on a study to test a trial HIV vaccine early next year.

 Bionor reported strong results in one of its tests of vaccine Vacc-4x in combination with the drug Revlimid. Vacc-4x works by activating the body’s immune system to kill active HIV-infected cells. Recent tests show that by combining the vaccine with Revlimid, the two can remove more HIV-infected cells than if they were used singularly. 

 “We are very pleased with the results, which show that Vacc-4x in combination with lenalidomide increases the efficacy of the vaccine,” wrote Bionor CEO Dr. Anker Lund Moses.

 The two-drug combination needs to be incorporated into a larger ongoing test the company has named “Kick and Kill,” in which  the goal is to find drugs that awaken dormant HIV cells so that Vacc-4x can kill more cells per treatment.