 Hey fam, Raif Derrazy here and this is your weekly roundup of the latest HIV news for the week of March 11th through March 17th. Today I'll be going through 13 articles covering topics ranging from gene editing breakthrough, with hopes for an eventual cure. New drug candidates could help reveal hidden HIV in latent reservoirs, a drug that helps reduce liver disease in people with HIV, the state of HIV criminalization in the US, and more. I won't be reading the articles per se, but I will give you a brief summary and sometimes throw in my own opinion and or commentary. If you'd like access to the complete articles, all links will be available in the description box below. A big shout out and thank you to Todd Martin for $5 super thanks. On last week's HIV news video, I really appreciate you all very much for helping to support my continued work on this channel. Alright, jumping right in, number one, the American Journal of Managed Care. Big Ted Revere receives expanded indication by FDA to treat HIV. The FDA has expanded the approval for Big Ted Revere, also known as Big Tar Vee, the drug developed by Gilead as a treatment for people with HIV, who have resistance to M184Vi, a type of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, or NRTI, and are virally suppressed. This makes Big Ted Revere the only FDA approved treatment recommended for people with HIV with this specific pattern of resistance. The approval is based on study 4030 which showed that 89% of participants with M184Vi resistance maintained viral suppression after 48 weeks of Big Ted Revere treatment. Big Ted Revere's safety profile remained consistent with common side effects including diarrhea, nausea, and headache. This expanded indication offers a new option for people with HIV with treatment resistant HIV, potentially improving long term disease management. Number two, NIAID. Children surpass a year of HIV remission after treatment pause. At the recent 2024 conference on retroviruses and opportunistic infections, also known as CROI, researchers shared promising results from a clinical trial involving four children living with HIV who achieved HIV remission after pausing their antiretroviral therapy. HIV remission being defined as having viral suppression even after discontinuing treatment. These children who were born with HIV started ART within 48 hours of birth as part of a National Institutes of Health funded trial. After meeting specific criteria, including sustained HIV suppression and certain immune cell counts, their ART was interrupted. Remarkably, four out of six children experienced HIV remission for at least 48 weeks off ART. While this study highlights significant progress in pediatric HIV treatment, further researchers needed to understand the mechanisms behind these outcomes and to explore the potential of very early ART initiation in managing HIV in infants. It's important to note that two children did not achieve HIV remission and one child experienced remission for 80 weeks, but then their HIV rebounded to detectable levels. Number three, BRO BIBLE. Aaron Rodgers says that HIV was created by the US government, quote, the game plan was made in the 80s, end quote. Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback for the New York Jets sparked controversy with his recent appearance on a podcast where he discussed various topics, including his belief that the government created HIV in the 1980s. Rodgers implied that Dr. Anthony Fauci was involved in this alleged plan and criticized the reliance on certain treatments like AZT and Remdesivir. While the New York Jets have not yet commented on Rodgers views, former NFL receiver Antonio Brown joked about Rodgers' controversial statements on X Twitter. Number four, FORBS. Americans are becoming more uncomfortable interacting with co-workers living with HIV report shows. GLAAD and Gilead Compass Initiative's recent report on HIV stigma reveals concerning trends that hinder efforts to combat the virus. Despite progress, intolerance towards certain groups living with HIV is increasing, with a significant portion expressing discomfort interacting with people living with HIV. Shockingly, Gen Z shows alarmingly low knowledge about HIV compared to previous generations, highlighting the need for comprehensive education efforts. Media portrayal of HIV positive characters has improved, but social media remains an underutilized tool in commanding stigma. I believe the amount of people that encountered content on social media that was from a person living with HIV was like 16% really low. Strong leadership and advocacy are essential to bridge knowledge and empathy gaps in HIV stigma, emphasizing the importance of accelerating efforts to educate and raise awareness about HIV AIDS. I created this shorts video about some of the stats you can check out as well. Pink News Public support for equal marriage dips in the US for the first time in almost a decade. The Public Religion Research Institute, or PRRI, conducted a survey across all 50 states to gauge American views on LGBTQ plus equality issues in 2023. The results showed a slight decline in support for LGBTQ plus rights compared to the previous year, particularly in areas such as non-discrimination protections, religiously based service refusals, and same-sex marriage. While democratic attitudes remained stable, Republican opposition to LGBTQ plus rights grew. Despite this, the majority of respondents still endorsed anti-discrimination protections and supported same-sex marriage. The survey also highlighted a correlation between support for Christian nationalism and opposition to LGBTQ plus rights. Melissa Duckman, PRRI's chief executive, emphasized the impact of LGBTQ identity being used as a divisive issue in the nation's cultural conflicts. The American Civil Liberties Union identified over 500 anti-LGBTQ plus bills passed last year, indicating ongoing challenges for LGBTQ plus rights advocacy. Though not HIV specific, I included this article because after reading the previous article, it speaks to a troubling trend in the US. This also can contribute to increased stigma and challenges for ending the HIV epidemic in the US, which is our goal in 2030. Number 6. The Buckeye Flame. He's 23 and in an Ohio prison for exposing someone to HIV, even though he couldn't transmit the virus. 22-year-old Kamar Weaver, born with HIV, found himself facing prison time because of his status. Quote, months earlier, the 22-year-old had reconnected with a high school friend. After chatting on social media, they hung out, and eventually he gave her oral sex. Weaver thought his friend remembered he was living with HIV. He had been open about it his entire life. But after he reminded her, she got upset and called the police. Kamar Weaver said, quote, she flipped out. She said, if I have it, I'm going to kill you. I just kept telling her that you can't get HIV from saliva, Weaver said. Despite little to no risk of transmission and his partner testing negative, Weaver was charged with felonious assault. Judge Critchbaum, who deemed HIV lethal, sentenced him to a year in prison, citing the law. Weaver's case underscores the need to reform Ohio's outdated HIV laws disproportionately impacting marginalized communities. Advocates argue these laws perpetuate stigma and discourage testing. Weaver, using his time to reflect, sees his HIV status not as a curse, but as a story to tell amid calls for reform. Folks, these are the types of laws, still in existence in various states in the US, the inherent stigma in not only the law, but in that judge seems to be very apparent. The judge actually told Kamar, quote, you disrespect everything that's proper and moral and ethical. Judge R. Scott Critchbaum told him what Weaver did was, quote, like shooting a gun and hitting somebody and they survive, Critchbaum said. That's what this crime is, end quote. Weaver is currently serving a year and 30 days in prison. While the article does state as a child, the medical treatment kept the levels of virus in his body at undetectable levels and quote, it makes no mention of his viral load currently. Presumably he's undetectable now as well. So it couldn't be transmitted through his saliva and he's presumably undetectable, which means he can't transmit sexually anyway. It did mention that he was born a female and would be serving time in a female prison. I'd imagine that that also had a role to play in the judge's comments about impropriety and immorality. Number seven, the Baltimore Banner, commentary, Maryland must stop criminalizing people living with HIV. In Maryland, people living with HIV can face criminal prosecution, even if they have disclosed their status, used protection, or are virally suppressed. A law dating back to 1989 criminalizes HIV transmission leading to imprisonment for behaviors like spitting and biting. This law fosters stigma, deters testing and creates barriers to health care. And aims to repeal this unjust law, which disproportionately affects black Marylanders. And pointing to one more criminalization article, number eight, Louisiana illuminator, HIV no longer a death sentence, but Louisiana laws target people who live with it. I don't, I'm not sure about the title because most of this is about Tennessee. So the case of LaShonda Salinas arrested in 2007 for allegedly exposing her ex-boyfriend to HIV sheds light on Tennessee's harsh HIV criminalization laws. Despite her denial of the allegations, Salinas faced severe penalties, including joining the sex offender registry, which affected her life profoundly. While Tennessee is slowly making reforms, individuals like Salinas continue to advocate for change, challenging laws that hinder their access to housing and employment and perpetuate stigma. Number nine, AIDS map, Lenna Kappavir plus broadly neutralizing antibodies may offer twice yearly treatment option. A recent study presented at the 30th CROI conference suggests that Lenna Kappavir, also known as Sunlenka, an antiretroviral drug taken every six months, when combined with two broadly neutralizing antibodies, teropavimab and zidliervimab, could create a complete twice yearly regimen for HIV treatment. Professor Joseph Aaron reported that 90% of participants in the study maintained undetectable viral loads six months after stopping their existing antiretroviral therapy. Lenna Kappavir, a capsid inhibitor, offers a promising alternative for people with multi drug resistant HIV. The study shows potential for long acting treatment options, offering hope for simplifying HIV management and improving adherence. Further trials are underway to assess the long term effectiveness of this regimen. Number 10, Euro news. New drug candidates could unmask HIV infected cells that evade the immune system. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have discovered new drug candidates that could potentially unveil HIV infected cells, allowing the immune system to detect and eliminate them. These compounds called protax target a protein called neph, which helps HIV infected cells evade detection by the immune system. By marking neph for degradation or destroying it, these drug candidates could restore HIV antigens on the cell surface, making infected cells visible to the immune system for destruction. While this discovery offers promise, further research and testing are needed before potential clinical trials. This approach represents a novel strategy in combating HIV and may have implications for other infectious diseases as well. Number 11, health day. GLP-1RA reduces severity of steatotic liver disease in people with HIV. A study again presented at CROI revealed that semaglitude, the drug that comprises ozempic, a medication used for people with HIV and metabolic associated steatotic liver disease or MASLD, led to significant reductions in liver fat content. Conducted by Dr. Jordan E. Lake and colleagues from the University of Texas at Houston, the study involved 49 participants who received semaglitude for 24 weeks. Results showed that semaglitude was well tolerated, with notable decreases in intrahypatic triglyceride levels or IHTG, nearly 29% of participants experienced complete resolution of MASLD, while 58% saw a significant reduction in IHTG. Moreover, improvements were observed in waist circumference, glucose levels, and triglyceride concentrations. The study suggests that low dose semaglitude could be a safe and effective treatment for MASLD in people with HIV, offering broader cardiometabolic benefits. So not only is this a drug that seems to be helping a lot of people with weight loss, but it could be helpful in this respect as well. Number 12. Queerty. In ultra prep injection, just three times a year could be on the way. Vive HealthCare has developed a new type of prep injection that could revolutionize HIV prevention. The injection called cabotegravir ultra long acting requires only three injections per year, compared to the current two month regimen. Results from a trial presented at CROI showed promising outcomes, with the new formulation being better tolerated and absorbed more slowly, resulting in fewer side effects. If further trials are successful, this strengthened form of cabotegravir could be administered every four months. Dr. Kimberly Smith from Vive HealthCare expressed enthusiasm about the potential of longer acting medications to alleviate the burden of daily treatments for HIV. The new formulation will undergo larger clinical trials, paving the way for advancements in HIV prevention and treatment. And last but not least, number 13, Sky News, hopes of HIV cure after breakthrough using gene editing scissors. Exciting news emerges as scientists make significant progress towards a potential cure for HIV by successfully eradicating the virus from cells in a lab using the gene editing tool CRISPR CAS. Acting like molecular scissors, this technology precisely targets HIV DNA, cutting it out from infected cells. Researchers from Amsterdam University Medical Center in the Netherlands aimed to develop a safe and effective CRISPR CAS regimen capable of eliminating diverse HIV strains across different cellular contexts. Their approach targets consistent parts of the virus found in all HIV strains, aiming for a broad spectrum therapy to combat multiple variants effectively. While this represents a pivotal advancement towards a cure strategy, further optimization and safety considerations are needed before clinical trials in humans can be conducted. Despite these promising findings, it's important to note that a functional HIV cure is still in the development stages. Links to all these articles can be found in the description box below this video. If you would like to join my new mailing list, I'm just starting it now. There's a link in the description box below. Once I get a good number of folks on the email list, I will start putting together quarterly email blasts, maybe even more frequently with updates on me, teasers of what's to come, some news highlights, perhaps share some thoughts on the state of things and some fun surprises. 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