Week of March 17, 2025
Captured on the 5th day of this illness, this photograph depicted a posterior view of the back of a patient with a case of measles, highlighting the characteristic erythematous rash that had manifested, and spread over this region. Note how the rash appeared to be a raised crop of irregularly shaped coalescing spots. Image credit: […]
Pay Today or Pay Tomorrow
Carl Schmid, executive director, HIV + Hepatitis Policy Institute Image credit: HIV + Hepatitis Policy Institute This is the third in a series on the State of HIV today. There is a lot going on with regards to public policy and legality of HIV care and prevention. For example, there is a case in the […]
The Business Sector’s Advocacy to Maintain Funding for HIV Prevention, Research, Treatment
This is the second in a series on the state of HIV today. In late February, The US Business Action to End HIV, the largest coalition of employers dedicated to ending the HIV epidemic in the United States, sent a letter to Congress urging them to prioritize sustained federal funding for HIV prevention and treatment […]
Apretude PrEP Shows High Efficacy, Safety in Diverse Studies
At this week’s CROI conference, ViiV Healthcare presented real-world data on its long-acting injectable PrEP, cabotegravir long-acting (CAB LA), (Apretude). In it’s PILLAR study, there was zero HIV acquisition through 12 months and high persistence with CAB LA for PrEP. These new 12-month findings from the examined the effectiveness, diagnostic testing, persistence (time that an […]
Ensitrelvir Prevents COVID-19 Infection as Post Exposure Prophylaxis
At this week’s CROI conference, Japan-based Sihonogi presented results for its investigational antiviral, ensitrelvir, that demonstrated a 67% reduction in the risk of developing COVID-19 in uninfected individuals treated after exposure, compared to a placebo at day 10.1 Of the study participants treated with ensitrelvir, 2.9% developed symptomatic COVID-19 compared to 9.0% of participants on […]
Pandemic Disruptions in HIV Care Impacted on Early ART Initiation and Viral Suppression
Sarita Shah, MD MPH Image credits: Emory University A study presented at CROI 2025 by Sarita Shah, MD, MPH, professor of epidemiology and global health at the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on early antiretroviral therapy (eART) initiation and viral suppression (eVS) among people with HIV […]
Discussing PrEP, PEP, and Vaccine Development
Here is the first in a news series on the state of HIV today including prevention, funding, and newer modalities. HIV prevention in the form of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) continues to be a highly effective method of reducing the risk of contracting HIV. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PrEP reduces […]
Model-Based Analysis of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination Effectiveness in Washington and Oregon
A study evaluating mRNA COVID-19 vaccination effectiveness in Washington and Oregon found a 74% reduction in hospitalizations from January 2020 to December 2022. Primary vaccination was particularly effective during the Alpha and Delta waves, while booster doses contributed 15% to the reduction. Researchers used a model-based counterfactual approach, accounting for immunity buildup, variant emergence, and […]
The FRESH Study Tests New HIV Remission Strategy in South African Women
Thumbi Ndung’u, BVM, PhD, scientific director of the HIV Pathogenesis Programme and Professor of HIV/TB Research at the University of KwaZulu-Natal presented results from the FRESH study at CROI 2025, a Phase 2a trial exploring a combination regimen of two broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), VRC07-523LS and CAP256V2LS, alongside the TLR7 agonist vesatolimod (VES) for HIV […]
Doravirine and Islatravir Combination Shown to be Noninferior to Once-Daily ART
At CROI today, Merck presented results of its investigational combination therapy of doravirine and islatravir (DOR/ISL) showing it was noninferior to bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (BIC/FTC/TAF).1 “At week 48, HIV-1 RNA was ≥50 c/mL in 5 (1.5%) participants on DOR/ISL and 1 (0.6%) on BIC/FTC/TAF (difference 0.9%, 95% CI -1.9, 2.9; CI upper bound <4%), demonstrating non-inferiority […]
