Scientists test drugs at the National Drug Authority quality control laboratory in Kampala. PHOTO/FILE/TONNY ABET
A new HIV cure trial conducted in Durban, South Africa, has raised hope after 20 percent of study participants achieved virus control even after stopping antiretroviral therapy (ART) for more than a year.
The trial in among 20 women was led by Prof Thumbi Ndung’u of the Sub-Saharan African Network for TB/HIV Research Excellence (SANTHE), a Sub-Saharan African network of African-led research in HIV. Uganda is in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Details from SANTHE indicate that the study tested HIV treatment approach called combination immunotherapy. With this approach, scientists aim to eliminate or reduce hidden traces of HIV in the body so the immune system can keep the virus in check without the need for lifelong medication.
According to SANTHE, the researchers treated participants with antiretrovirals very soon after they acquired HIV.
“Once the virus was controlled by ART, they administered powerful immune-boosters – which helps the immune system fight the virus more effectively. Under close medical supervision, participants then stopped ART to see if their bodies could control the virus on their own,” SANTHE stated.
“The trial results show that 30% of participants (six out of 20) were able to stay off HIV treatment for nearly a year, and 20% (four participants) remained off treatment until the trial ended at 55 weeks. Even after the trial, these four individuals, who are still being closely monitored, have continued without medication for an average of 1.5 years,” they further stated.
The results of the study were presented at the 2025 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), currently underway in San Francisco, USA.
“While this treatment approach didn’t work for most participants, it is still a significant development in HIV cure research,” Prof Ndung’u was quoted by SANTHE as saying. “Studying how the 20% managed to control the virus on their own will help scientists develop better HIV cure strategies, as well as work out ways to improve future treatments. This trial is also significant because it proves that complex HIV cure research can be successfully conducted in resource-limited settings where the need is greatest, and highlights the importance of including African populations in global scientific advancements.”
Similar study in Uganda
Last year in August, researchers at Makerere University Walter Reed Project (MUWRP) said plans were underway to recruit volunteers in a new HIV/AIDS treatment interruption study that assesses the possibility of drug holidays and disease cure.
The researchers and persons living with HIV (PLHIV) said the analytical treatment interruption study, if positive results are obtained, would bring great relief and reduce spending on antiretroviral (ARV) drugs.
Dr Hannah Kibuuka, a researcher at MUWRP, said although the drug holiday possibility is one of the areas assessed, the main goal of the analytical treatment interruption is to find an HIV cure.
“This is research in PLHIV who are on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and are suppressed. Then their ART is paused to be able to test other interventions to determine if the virus can be completely suppressed, or if it is suppressed to an acceptable level for a long period,” she explained.
She also appealed to the public to adhere to the current treatment guidelines to guarantee viral load suppression since these are trials.
