The EPIICAL Consortium applauds the significant progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS in children, presented by Dr. Deborah Persaud at the 2024 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI).
Research led by Dr. Deborah Persaud has shown that children with HIV who have started antiretroviral therapy very early in life can achieve sustained remission after pausing the treatment. This groundbreaking finding, aligning with the ongoing efforts of the EPIICAL Consortium, underscores the potential for future advancements in paediatric HIV treatment and cure.
Data presented at CROI comes from IMPAACT P1115, a clinical trial funded by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). The presentation shared the experience of six children enrolled in the clinical trial. These children were living with HIV and had initiated ART shortly after birth. After achieving sustained viral suppression for several years, the children paused ART treatment. Notably, four of the six children maintained viral suppression for more than one year off therapy, indicating a state of HIV remission.
“Dr. Persaud’s presentation at CROI showcased promising results. This research, combined with EPIICAL’s investigations into immune responses and therapeutic interventions, holds significant potential for the future of paediatric HIV”, said Prof. Paolo Rossi, from the University of Tor Vergata and Children’s Hospital Bambino Gesù in Rome, EPIICAL Scientific Coordinator and Board Member of the Penta Foundation. “We are encouraged by these findings and excited to build upon them”.
While early initiation of ART in children with perinatally acquired HIV infection is crucial, it is not always sufficient to achieve remission on its own. EPIICAL and Penta are actively exploring additional avenues, in particular specific Monoclonal Antibodies and/or Therapeutic HIV Vaccines, for controlling the virus without continuous medication and potentially curing HIV in children.