Kersten Kurt Koelsch, MD, director of Medical & Scientific Affairs, Immunology and Infectious Diseases for ICON.
As people with HIV live longer due to ART, new challenges are emerging. Aging with HIV is linked to higher risks of comorbidities, chronic inflammation, and drug interactions, while gaps in clinical trial inclusion and care models highlight the need for more integrated, patient-centered treatment strategies.
Long-acting injectables have transformed HIV management, but viral suppression alone is not enough. Researchers are advancing mRNA vaccines, broadly neutralizing antibodies, latency-reversing agents, pediatric immune strategies, and gene editing to eliminate reservoirs and achieve remission. Here’s how next-generation HIV therapeutics aim to move beyond lifelong ART.
Despite decades of progress transforming HIV from a fatal diagnosis into a manageable chronic condition, today’s antiretroviral therapies still face a stubborn barrier: They work brilliantly in theory but fall short when access, adherence, and real-world challenges get in the way. As long-acting injectables emerge and curative research accelerates, developers are being pushed to design interventions that perform not just in controlled trials, but in the complex realities of the communities most affected by HIV.
