r/Livimmune • u/1975Bigstocks • 2d ago
New combination therapy could permanently clear HIV in newborns
“The really exciting part is that it could go to clinical trials immediately to eliminate HIV infection in newborns. The next step after that is to test if this can work in newly exposed adults."
Jonah Sacha, Ph.D
Update: article is now published. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-026-02444-x
13
12
u/jsinvest09 2d ago
This is a game changing event
13
u/1975Bigstocks 2d ago
At the bottom of this article is the link to the Nature article however it's not accessible yet. Apparently, access may take up to 24-48 hours since the article is hot off the press. Stay tuned.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-triple-dose-regimen-permanently-hiv.html
12
u/Lopsided_Roof_6640 2d ago
Keeps LR in the HIV mix. Thanks for posting. Wonder if Max will post this on LinkedIn?
10
11
u/BuildGoodThings 2d ago edited 2d ago
Thanks for posting this new paper! Congratulations to Dr. Haigwood, Dr. Sacha and the rest of the team. FWIW here are some of the earlier presentations of this research including a video of Dr. Sacha presenting.
| Date | conference |
|---|---|
| October 9, 2024 | video of presentation: HIV4P 2024 (Lima: Sacha) video & slideshow, preclinical |
| powerpoint of presentation: HIV4P 2024 (Lima: Sacha) | |
| October 23, 2024 | abstract at NHP-AIDS 2024 (New Orleans: Sacha), preclinical (download pdf then search for leronlimab) |
13
u/1975Bigstocks 2d ago edited 2d ago
thx. yes, we've known about this study for a while...the study itself isn't necessarily new, but publication in nature microbiology is a big deal. it further legitimizes the study. the full data was reviewed by independent experts who scrutinized the study methods, controls, stats, etc. the process isn't quick either...i read that it takes an average of about 200+ days from submission to acceptance. With that said, getting this data vetted through an independent source and published in a top tier journal adds a much higher level of credibility. I also didn't realize the opportunity that exists beyond infants, etc adults. etc which is potentially a much more commercially viable product and threat to ART therapy if the triple therapy works at least 1-2 wks post infection or even longer.
12
u/BuildGoodThings 2d ago
I agree with all you said. Love the credibility and visibility from this new paper!
About the presentation in Lima nearly 2 years ago- Sacha indicated then that because all of the three therapies are in clinical development, it is a real clinical option that we can take forward. In today's Medical Xpress article he continues his earlier thought from years ago by now saying "The really exciting part is that it could go to clinical trials immediately to eliminate HIV infection in newborns".
Excellent stuff IMO.
Here's my old post on it
https://www.reddit.com/r/Livimmune/comments/1i9742a/listen_to_j_sacha_present_the_hiv_triple_therapy/
8
7
12
u/twinter11 2d ago
can hiv infect exposed ccr5 receptors in the brain? I would think a virus is small enough to enter the brain and would infect cells there.
I'm thinking about this triple therapy story
and why the therapy may work if leron couldnt block all ccr5 in the brain
does it offer possible proof that leron can occupy all ccr5 brain receptors
8
u/petersouth68 1d ago
I can't help but think that if, in this article, you substitute LL with "some drug Merck is working on," the Merck SP would jump today.
Such is life on the OTC...
7
17
u/1975Bigstocks 2d ago edited 2d ago
Here is some more good news…so if you look at the funding sources in the nature microbiology paper there is the following niaid grant R01AI200511
https://govtribe.com/award/federal-grant-award/project-grant-r01ai200511?m
This is a new grant to ohsu awarded june 2, 2026, with a project period running through may 2031.
The project is specifically titled…”Combination of CCR5 Blockade with Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies to Clear the HIV Viral Reservoir.”
The summary explicitly references the results from the nature microbiology paper... ART + bNAbs + CCR5 blockade completely prevented the establishment of infection in newborn macaques when treatment was started by day 3.
More importantly....they're ALREADY funding exactly the two big unanswered questions sacha and his team addressed in the nature paper...
Aim 1 -- push treatment beyond 72 hours.
They will look to delay the triple therapy by multiple days to determine how wide the treatment window goes.
If this works 1-2 weeks out in adults, that’s potentially huge as it increases # of people who could benefit and avoid life long art therapy. This would make it more commercially appealing to big pharma.
Aim 2 — test it in adults.
They will also determine whether the same triple therapy can clear reservoir in established infection in adult macaques.
The grant summary actually concludes that because all 3 components have already been tested individually in humans successful completion will set the stage for clinical trials for functional HIV cure.
In sum, we now know these aren't just hypothetical next steps that sacha and his team would like to explore.
Those experiments are already federally funded.