HIV treatment adherence gaps in Ghana and potential newborn clearance breakthrough

In Ghana, the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) reports a significant gap in HIV treatment adherence. While antiretroviral therapy (ART) is effective at suppressing the virus, only 57 percent of the estimated 337,435 people living with HIV in the country are currently receiving treatment. Officials cite stigma, discrimination, and the use of unproven herbal or spiritual remedies as primary barriers to consistent medication use.

Simultaneously, researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have published findings in Nature Microbiology regarding a potential breakthrough for newborns. The study suggests that a one-time regimen combining neutralizing antibodies, standard antiretroviral therapy, and the experimental monoclonal antibody leronlimab could permanently clear HIV in newborns if administered within three days of birth. While the research involved nonhuman primates, the team aims to move toward clinical trials, potentially starting with newly exposed adults, to evaluate the efficacy of this three-part regimen in humans.