By Tosin Adesile
The 12th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science in Brisbane, Australia, where advancements in reducing HIV formed the agenda.
At the conference, which is unarguably the world’s most influential meeting on HIV research and its applications, hope for the cure of HIV was raised as delegates were introduced to the “Geneva patient”, the sixth person considered to be “cured” of HIV.
The Geneva patient is a Caucasian male whose viral load remains undetectable after 20 months of discontinuing antiretroviral therapy (ART).
Over 5000 people who participated at the conference physically and virtually were regaled with progress being recorded in taming HIV, including the discovery of a drug that can preferentially prime latent cells to die and facilitate clearance of the viral reservoir.
Using a humanised mouse model, researchers found that daily doses of the drug for a few weeks significantly delayed viral rebound following cessation of ART.
Sessions of the IAS 2023 explored all aspects of long-acting injectible options, including how to ensure these injectables reach all who need them.
Long-acting ARVs were described as probably the greatest advancement in HIV field in recent years.