Achieving lasting remission for HIV

Globally, approximately 40 million individuals are living with HIV. While advancements in treatment have transformed the disease from a fatal diagnosis to a manageable condition, the quest for a definitive cure has remained elusive. Currently, those diagnosed with HIV depend on a regimen of antiretroviral medications for their entire lives. In a significant development reported in 2025, researchers have unveiled promising results suggesting that a 'functional' cure for HIV may be attainable. This breakthrough indicates a potential method to control the virus long-term without the necessity for ongoing treatment. Two separate trials utilizing infusions of engineered antibodies have shown that certain participants were able to maintain their health without antiretroviral therapy long after the treatment concluded. One of these trials, known as the FRESH trial, was spearheaded by virologist Thumbi Ndung’u from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the Africa Health Research Institute in South Africa. Remarkably, four out of 20 participants achieved undetectable levels of HIV for a median duration of 1.5 years without the use of antiretrovirals. The other trial, the RIO trial, took place in the United Kingdom and Denmark under the guidance of Sarah Fidler, an expert in HIV research at Imperial College London. In this study, six out of 34 participants successfully maintained viral control for a minimum of two years. These groundbreaking proof-of-concept trials underscore the potential of harnessing the immune system to combat HIV. Researchers are now focused on planning larger, more inclusive trials to determine whether these antibodies can be optimized for a broader population. According to Fidler, this kind of treatment could represent a significant shift in HIV management. "They are long-acting drugs," she notes, "with effects that can persist even after they are no longer present in the body. So far, we haven’t seen anything that works like that." While individuals living with HIV can lead long, healthy lives through antiretroviral treatments, their lifespans typically remain shorter than those of their HIV-negative counterparts. Furthermore, the daily regimen of pills or the newer bimonthly injections can pose substantial financial, logistical, and social hurdles, including stigma. Fidler adds, "For the last 15 or 20 years, there has been a concerted effort to ask, 'How can we do better?'"