@imperialctu.bsky.social RIO Team represented today at the @bhiva.bsky.social Spring Conference in Brighton 🤩 RIO Trial results presentation as part of the Oral Abstracts Session one - presented by RIO Chief Investigator, Prof Sarah Fidler 😊 #bhiva25 #riotrial #bnabs

i-base.info/htb/50971 Want to find out more about RIO? The brilliant @hiv-i-base.bsky.social team have published a non-technical Q&A on the recently reported results of the RIO study. Read more about it here ⬆️

Delighted to be able to present my PhD findings of bNAb in gut tissue, alongside the primary RIO trial findings at the Keystone HIV cure symposium in Durban! #KeystoneSymposium #HIVcure2025

RIO Trial@riotrial.bsky.social · last yr.

Dr Ming Lee, RIO trial physician @drmjlee.bsky.social presents the primary findings from RIO and his gut sub-study at the Keystone HIV cure conference in Durban, S. Africa. #KeystoneSymposium #HIVcure

At the Keystone HIV cure symposium in Durban, South Africa. Looking forward to a great line up of talks and the chance to meet other cure researchers around the globe! Prof Ndung'u opens the meeting with a keynote talk on combination HIV cure approaches in resource limited settings.

RIO is an international collaboration bringing together researchers from Rockefeller, Imperial College London, University of Oxford, and clinical sites across UK and Europe. Here are some of our investigators unwinding after the #CROI2025 conference in San Francisco.

4mthly IV/SC N6LS with mthly CAB maintained viral suppression, but there were a small but significant group of people who experienced viral control failure. Like many other bNAb studies, these findings suggest we may have a while to go for the use of bNAbs as a direct antiviral. #CROI2025

96W CARES CAB/RPV. Efficacy remains high and non-inferior vs continued oral ART (97% <50) 4 VFs on LA (0 on PO) 3/4 with dual class RAMs (1 with baseline RPV RMAs) 1/4 not sequenced. Great results.

Tecovirimat did not lead to faster clinical resolution, or reduction of pain, for clade 2 MPOX. We need new agents to treat MPOX. #CROI2025

Ensitrelvir, a SARS-CoV-2 C3 like protease inhibitor reduced incidence of COVID-19 by two-thirds up to day 10 after exposure. #CROI2025

Frailty was associated with an increased risk of MACE in the REPRIEVE study. However frailty did not seem to impact the effectiveness of pitavastatin on preventing MACE outcomes. Caveat limited sample size and events in this relatively young cohort assessed with low-mod CVD risk. #CROI2025

Findings from the last gift cohort. Although total HIV DNA measures were similar in the spinal cord (SC) compared to the brain, there was higher HIV diversity seen in the SC. SC may be an important site of HIV dispersal. #CROI2025

A real challenge in this field is being able to carefully examine brain and central nervous system tissues over time. People may consent to lumbar punctures but a (or multiple) brain biopsy is much more invasive. Studies like the Last Gift are truly amazing but only allow tissue study after death.

Took a break from science news to write up Monday's inspiring #SaveOurSciences rally at #CROI2025. More of a photo essay, really, with lots of familiar faces. www.poz.com/article/hiv-...

HIV Researchers and Advocates Rally to Save Our Sciences

Speakers oppose the Trump administration’s funding cuts to the NIH, PEPFAR and Medicaid and attacks on communities most vulnerable to HIV.

poz.com

Roger Paredes on Long COVID. Lots of evidence now that viral persistence seen up to 2yrs after initial infection is seen in people with long COVID. LC is associated with increased thromboinflammation. The way forward - greater pt involvement, adaptive RCTs, and vaccination! #CROI2025

It's great to see two more people reported to be in remission from HIV after stem cell transplants at #CROI2025. But stem cell transplants remain a high risk procedure and not feasible for all, and we need safer, more scalable and accessible cure interventions for people living with HIV.

Liz Highleyman@lizhighleyman.bsky.social · last yr.

News from #CROI2025: Two more people appear to be free of HIV after stem cell transplants for cancer treatment. If these men remain in remission, they will be the 8th & 9th known cases of a functional cure after the procedure. www.poz.com/article/two-...

A must-watch: Rebecca Denison, founder of Women Organized to Respond to Life-threatening Diseases (WORLD), delivers the Martin Delaney Presentation at #CROI2025 "40+ Years of #HIV: What’s Changed, What Hasn’t, What Shouldn’t, What Must" Thanks to IAS-USA for making it publicly available.

40+ Years of HIV: What’s Changed, What Hasn’t, What Shouldn’t, What Must

YouTube video by IAS-USA

youtu.be

You can find out more about the latest study developments at riotrial.org

RIO HIV Trial - Viral suppression off ART using dual bNAb therapy

RIO is looking at whether a new type of treatment, called bNAbs can keep viral load undetectable without antiretroviral treatment (ART)

riotrial.org

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnFb... RIO chief investigator, Professor Sarah Fidler, was also invited to present at the #CROI2025 press conference, on 10th March 2025. Time stamps of where you can watch about the RIO Trial: Professor Fidler presents (3:05 – 6:22) Press questions (16:04 – 20:10)

CROI 2025 Monday (March 10) Press Conference

YouTube video by IAS-USA

youtube.com

RIO Chief Investigator, Prof Sarah Fidler, presented the RIO primary results at CROI Conference 10 Mar 2025. Three quarters of participants who received bNAbs were able to control the virus while off their antiretroviral therapy, compared to those who received a placebo over a 20-week period.

Really exciting data on once yearly Lenacapravir. Safe and well tolerated with little injection site reactions, pain reduced with with pre treatment ice. Trough levels higher than twice yearly formulations. Potentially helpful for pairing with other long acting rx eg. bNAbs in the future?

Dr Laura Waters@drlaurajwaters.bsky.social · last yr.

PK/safety of ONCE YEARLY LEN! Potential to address LEN barriers. Two IM formulations (F1/2) assessed in HIV-neg ppl. Tmax F1 12W, good PK to W56 & higher than Q6M LEN. F2 similar. Both safe/well-tolerated. NO NODULES!!!! Pre-treatment ice reduced injection pain. This is exciting?!?!??! #CROI2025

1st Q down at #CROI2025! Q: In RIO (bNAbs vs placebo in VS ppl undergoing ATI) how were co-morbidities excluded (18% with rebound in the bNAb arm had VLs >1m & we know, e.g. in REPRIEVE, lots of subclinical CAD)? A: Sarah Fidler - RIO young pop. In future biomarkers or more invasive tests may help

At the Stand up for science protest yesterday. There was anger, there was determination. As researchers, clinicians, and activists, we stand together as a community. And the crowd chanted: ACT UP, FIGHT BACK. #CROI2025

Prof Sarah Fidler presents the long-awaited results of #RIOstudy of dual bNAbs vs placebo in people with early HIV. Pts receiving bNAbs were 91% more likely to experience viral suppression up to 20 weeks compared to placebo, and more than a third remained suppressed after two doses beyond 72 wks.

Prof Ole Søgaard opens today's #CROI2025 plenary on the progress of cure research. #bNAbs are promising agents that act beyond ART as theg appear to enhance the frequency of viral control compared to previously reported rates of PTC.

A beautiful closing performance for the #CROI2025 opening session by the SF Gay Men's choir.

Prof Adeeba Kamarulzaman shares how she sought allies, including a religious scholar, to successfully implement opoid replacement harm reduction programmes in Malaysia. However science isn't enough, and she shares the challenges and progress in changing drug policies and laws. #CROI2025

A powerful talk by Rebecca Denison, founder of WORLD and woman living with HIV. We can't go back to the days without treatment access. Silence is death. And courage is a decision. The hall erupted in a standing ovation. #CROI2025

Rebecca Denison, writer, advocate, founder of womenhiv.org/world-history/ gives the Martin Delaney lecture at #croi2025 "Transgender & non-binary people have always existed & always will" Diagnosed with HIV 1990 she was told "most people find it best to not tell too many people"

CROI chair Prof Havlir reaffirm the commitment of CROI to support scientific gatherings with free exchange of ideas, and condemns the censoring of science. She also highlights the response to US federal policy changes. #CROI2025

Exciting talk on liver steatosis by Dr Khalili - a number of promising treatments for liver steatosis, including GLP1 agonists (yet another thing GLP1 is good for!) #CROI2025