Grant Award Summary

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) awarded a $1,282,827 Project Grant to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) on July 10, 2026, under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837). This grant supports a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled mechanistic trial evaluating the impact of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP1-RA) using oral semaglutide on HIV-associated atherosclerosis. The research will enroll 125 treated and virally suppressed persons living with HIV aged 40 and older who have existing cardiovascular disease or at least one cardiovascular risk factor. The study will assess arterial inflammation using FDG-PET/CT imaging, measure biomarkers of inflammatory and immune activation, and evaluate non-calcified plaque and coronary inflammation in the coronary arteries through the ultimate completion date of March 31, 2031.

The grant is designed as a proof-of-concept mechanistic investigation addressing the heightened arterial inflammation characteristic of HIV-associated cardiovascular disease. By examining whether semaglutide can modulate the biological pathways underlying atherosclerosis in persons living with HIV—particularly through reductions in inflammatory cytokines and macrophage infiltration—this research will generate critical evidence on whether GLP1-RA therapy, already proven safe and beneficial for cardiometabolic indices in HIV populations, may also reduce cardiovascular event risk through direct anti-atherosclerotic mechanisms.