HIV cure research depends on cohorts of people living with HIV who volunteer to participate in studies over many years. These cohorts help researchers understand how HIV persists in the body, identify factors that may influence the success of cure strategies and evaluate promising interventions. This infographic highlights major HIV cure research cohorts around the world, demonstrating the global collaboration and long-term investment required to advance HIV cure science.
HIV Cure Research Cohorts
HIV Vaccine Clinical Trials Pipeline
This graphic summarizes the state of HIV vaccine research, detailing the different immunological approaches in clinical trials, the specific candidates being studied, and the collaborative networks of funders and developers working toward an effective vaccine.
HIV Prevention Product Overview
The graphic provides an overview of PrEP products currently available and in late-stage clinical trials.
What Does It Take to Conduct HIV Cure Research?
Progress towards an HIV cure depends on strengthening four critical systems: lab equipment, sustainable funding, policy & programs, and training.
Long-Acting HIV Treatment Pipeline
AVAC has begun to track the research pipeline for long-acting HIV treatment (LA-ART). A rapidly expanding pipeline for LA-ART has the potential to introduce new regimens with dosing frequencies that range from weeks to months to, eventually, years. The benefits of LA-ART include reduced drug dosing, frequency, and number of drugs, with the potential for associated decreases in the cost of medications and the burden on health systems. New drug classes could close treatment gaps in children, adolescents, and those with high viremia, comorbidities and resistance. Ongoing clinical research will hopefully further demonstrate whether there are trade-offs (treatment failures or resistance) between LA-ART and highly effective daily oral ART. In addition to the new long-acting products, simplified single-tablet daily regimens are also in development.
Speeding Up Access to PrEP
Time from efficacy results to key milestones
The timeline for hitting key milestones in product introduction is moving faster for injectable LEN than for any previous PrEP products, starting from the announcement of efficacy results in Phase III trials. LEN’s accelerated timeline compared to oral PrEP, DVR, and CAB reflects a field-wide effort to learn lessons from previous PrEP rollout and not repeat the mistakes of the past.
Where We Are Now with LEN for PrEP
This timeline tracks the regulatory approval process for lenacapavir (LEN) for HIV prevention from late 2024 through early 2026. Key milestones include FDA Priority Review status, FDA approval in June 2025, expected subsequent approvals from European regulators and WHO, and Global Fund and PEPFAR commitment to roll out LEN to three million people over the next three years.
Decline in PEPFAR Supported PrEP
Official characterizations of the HIV response as “doing very good” warrant a closer look at the data. AVAC’s analysis of PEPFAR prevention figures shows PrEP initiations declined 41% in one year, with women and men each seeing drops exceeding 50%. Data on key populations remains unavailable.
Potential Demand for LEN for PrEP
The top 16 PrEP markets, based on 2024 oral PrEP initiations and the possible 2026 injectable market, assuming 60% of new PrEP users choose an injectable, as seen in implementation studies.