6 ms·

HIV breakthrough: Trial shows drug provides 100% protection

86 points by ulrischa 2y ago

bawolff 2y ago
So this is a drug (not a vaccine) that stays active for 6 months. How does that work? Does it just stay in body forever without being filtrred by liver or kidneys?
- tardy_one 2y ago
  Inserted under the skin, probably dissolves over a little more than six months.
- heavyset_go 2y ago
  Some of the drugs are intramuscular injections of formulations that take months to metabolize. As they metabolize, the active ingredients enter the bloodstream.
- rasz 2y ago
  >So this is a drug (not a vaccine) that stays active for 6 months. oh course, you cant sell vaccine over and over
  - theblobawakens 2y ago
    A lot of people : "hold our beers"
alfor 2y ago
Does it generate constant profit? Maybe I am too cynical, but I don't expect the pharma industry to fix something that is good for the bottom line. How much tri-therapy cost?
- bobthepanda 2y ago
  It is twice yearly, so yes.
- konschubert 2y ago
  Why don't you go invent a cure for HIV then, and do better than the existing Pharma companies?
  - theblobawakens 2y ago
    He will do morally much better, if he succeeds in funding the development of said cure, and in actually making it. But he will be competing with more interesting propositions, investment-wise, in he form of subscription drugs. Ergo, "why ?" is "probably because of money".
- Angostura 2y ago
  That must be why we don’t have any cures for diseases
  - Brian_K_White 2y ago
    You aren't making the joke you seem to think you are.
m3kw9 2y ago
100% till it doesn't?
- AIorNot 2y ago
  its amazing how cynical (all) people are by nature - I'm 49, and I remember when HIV was a horrible scourge, we forget, so quickly, how things were, and our advances seem trivial. -assuming this news is true or accurate, this is a remarkable advancement for humanity.
morsch 2y ago
Previously: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40742163 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40742163
- metadat 2y ago
  Thanks! Macro-expanded: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40742163 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40742163 Gilead shot prevents all HIV cases in trial (bloomberg.com) — 24 days ago, 438 comments https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40882506 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40882506 A new way to prevent HIV delivers dramatic results in trial (npr.org) — 9 days ago, 5 comments Others?
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
ChrisMarshallNY 2y ago
Excellent news! > In an ideal world, governments will be able to purchase this affordably and it will be offered to all who want it and need protection against HIV. Well, since we don't live in an ideal world, we'll have to see what "not-ideal" looks like...
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- BoingBoomTschak 2y ago
  [flagged]
  - geor9e 2y ago
    Sounds like your ideal world is the 80s AIDS epidemic then
  - PlunderBunny 2y ago
    Do you realise that aids can be transmitted through blood transfusions, or to a baby from its mother?
    - BoingBoomTschak 2y ago
      [flagged]
      - rpdillon 2y ago
        You keep commenting here about how HIV is the fault of the people who have it. Now you seem to be arguing that if there are people who have HIV and it's not their fault, they don't matter because they're statistically unlikely. That doesn't track. There are many thousands of people that have HIV through no fault of their own. And there's no reason that this drug is not a good idea for those people. Two days ago: Over 2,400 patients may have been exposed to HIV, hepatitis infections at Oregon hospitals Whose fault? > The Oregon Health Authority said that investigations into the breach centered around a physician who delivered intravenous anesthesia and employed "unacceptable infection control practices, which put patients at risk of infections." https://www.cbsnews.com/news/oregon-hospital-patients-exposed-infectious-disease-hiv-hepatitis/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/oregon-hospital-patients-expose...
decremental 2y ago
[dead]
ChrisArchitect 2y ago
Official release a month ago: https://www.gilead.com/news-and-press/press-room/press-releases/2024/6/gileads-twiceyearly-lenacapavir-demonstrated-100-efficacy-and-superiority-to-daily-truvada-for-hiv-prevention https://www.gilead.com/news-and-press/press-room/press-relea... And lots of discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40742163 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40742163
jl6 2y ago
> It interferes with the HIV capsid, a protein shell that protects HIV’s genetic material and enzymes needed for replication. Do I understand correctly that this means an individual HIV virus cannot replicate in the presence of the drug? I assume there must be more to it because otherwise this would be a cure?
- Red_Leaves_Flyy 2y ago
  Hoping an expert will chime in but my lay understanding is that one difficult part of treating HIV positive patients is the ability of the virus to hide in areas that are exceptionally difficult to reach. In addition, HIV has a robust ability to reinfect a host from a point of undetectability hence the needs for lifelong treatments.
- boroboro4 2y ago
  Effectively HIV stops replication in a presence of the drug, similarly to HIV drug regimes used today. However HIV is a very nasty virus - it’s called retrovirus because it writes itself into cell’s DNA (nucleus/core). So while those cells are alive as soon as you stop taking medications you will have virus resurgance. Some of those cells are in bone marrow and permanent. Hence stopping the replication of HIV isn’t enough for cure.
TaylorAlexander 2y ago
This is wonderful to hear! I’m transgender, polyamorous, and on PrEP. Often trans people didn’t get to have the sex they really wanted for a long time, and after coming out there is this sense of liberation and joy along with a new found appreciation for sex. I’ve heard it said that “sex is an adult form of play” and that’s how I see it. It’s extremely fun to get together with another consenting adult and explore what feels nice together. PrEP has already been a game changer for our sense of safety and possibility. It’s always reassuring when you meet someone, find mutual interest, and then when discussing safety you find you’re both on PrEP and get regularly tested. I’ve never had this experience before as for a long time I dated in serial monogamy and had one new partner every three or four years. With an expansion of sexual partnership opportunities I’m learning so much about the myriad ways I enjoy relating to others, and finding so much fulfillment in this part of my life. These medications are truly wonderful. We owe so much to those who came before us and lived their truths despite the risks, blazed the trail for people like myself and our community today, and lost their lives or loved ones as a result. We should never forget the fight it took to gain this recognition, or the people who resisted our right to freedom along the way. I want to say also that I recognize this trial was largely among presumably heterosexual people in an HIV stricken region, but my experience is in the gay and trans community in the USA and I wanted to share a personal story of the value these drugs have had for us. My story will no doubt attract some weird comments, but I hope we all recognize the value of consenting adults making their own choices. We all deserve to find our joy, and I suspect most of us recognize the value of sex and pleasure in some form or another. I hope my story provides some insight in to what drugs like this can mean to communities around the world. Love to all people. <3 Edit: By the way here’s some book recommendations on polyamory. You too can find this joy if you’re in the right community and you develop the skills to handle things with maturity and respect, while identifying others who have done the same work. It’s been a ten year journey for me, but it has been well worth it. Books: “More Than Two, 2nd edition” (2nd edition is in preprint but recommended over the first) “Polysecure”, “Polywise”. Good luck exploring! Oh and finding a supporting therapist made all the difference for me in this journey too. That one is harder but see the directory on the Psychology Today website and take advantage of their filters.
- jbgt 2y ago

86 points by ulrischa 2y ago

So this is a drug (not a vaccine) that stays active for 6 months. How does that work? Does it just stay in body forever without being filtrred by liver or kidneys?

tardy_one 2y ago
Inserted under the skin, probably dissolves over a little more than six months.
heavyset_go 2y ago
Some of the drugs are intramuscular injections of formulations that take months to metabolize. As they metabolize, the active ingredients enter the bloodstream.
rasz 2y ago
>So this is a drug (not a vaccine) that stays active for 6 months. oh course, you cant sell vaccine over and over
- theblobawakens 2y ago
  A lot of people : "hold our beers"

alfor 2y ago

Does it generate constant profit? Maybe I am too cynical, but I don't expect the pharma industry to fix something that is good for the bottom line. How much tri-therapy cost?

bobthepanda 2y ago
It is twice yearly, so yes.
konschubert 2y ago
Why don't you go invent a cure for HIV then, and do better than the existing Pharma companies?
- theblobawakens 2y ago
  He will do morally much better, if he succeeds in funding the development of said cure, and in actually making it. But he will be competing with more interesting propositions, investment-wise, in he form of subscription drugs. Ergo, "why ?" is "probably because of money".
Angostura 2y ago
That must be why we don’t have any cures for diseases
- Brian_K_White 2y ago
  You aren't making the joke you seem to think you are.

m3kw9 2y ago

100% till it doesn't?

AIorNot 2y ago
its amazing how cynical (all) people are by nature - I'm 49, and I remember when HIV was a horrible scourge, we forget, so quickly, how things were, and our advances seem trivial. -assuming this news is true or accurate, this is a remarkable advancement for humanity.

morsch 2y ago

Previously: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40742163 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40742163

metadat 2y ago
Thanks! Macro-expanded: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40742163 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40742163 Gilead shot prevents all HIV cases in trial (bloomberg.com) — 24 days ago, 438 comments https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40882506 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40882506 A new way to prevent HIV delivers dramatic results in trial (npr.org) — 9 days ago, 5 comments Others?

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

ChrisMarshallNY 2y ago

Excellent news! > In an ideal world, governments will be able to purchase this affordably and it will be offered to all who want it and need protection against HIV. Well, since we don't live in an ideal world, we'll have to see what "not-ideal" looks like...

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
BoingBoomTschak 2y ago
[flagged]
- geor9e 2y ago
  Sounds like your ideal world is the 80s AIDS epidemic then
- PlunderBunny 2y ago
  Do you realise that aids can be transmitted through blood transfusions, or to a baby from its mother?
  - BoingBoomTschak 2y ago
    [flagged]
    - rpdillon 2y ago
      You keep commenting here about how HIV is the fault of the people who have it. Now you seem to be arguing that if there are people who have HIV and it's not their fault, they don't matter because they're statistically unlikely. That doesn't track. There are many thousands of people that have HIV through no fault of their own. And there's no reason that this drug is not a good idea for those people. Two days ago: Over 2,400 patients may have been exposed to HIV, hepatitis infections at Oregon hospitals Whose fault? > The Oregon Health Authority said that investigations into the breach centered around a physician who delivered intravenous anesthesia and employed "unacceptable infection control practices, which put patients at risk of infections." https://www.cbsnews.com/news/oregon-hospital-patients-exposed-infectious-disease-hiv-hepatitis/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/oregon-hospital-patients-expose...

decremental 2y ago

[dead]

ChrisArchitect 2y ago

Official release a month ago: https://www.gilead.com/news-and-press/press-room/press-releases/2024/6/gileads-twiceyearly-lenacapavir-demonstrated-100-efficacy-and-superiority-to-daily-truvada-for-hiv-prevention https://www.gilead.com/news-and-press/press-room/press-relea... And lots of discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40742163 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40742163

jl6 2y ago

> It interferes with the HIV capsid, a protein shell that protects HIV’s genetic material and enzymes needed for replication. Do I understand correctly that this means an individual HIV virus cannot replicate in the presence of the drug? I assume there must be more to it because otherwise this would be a cure?

Red_Leaves_Flyy 2y ago
Hoping an expert will chime in but my lay understanding is that one difficult part of treating HIV positive patients is the ability of the virus to hide in areas that are exceptionally difficult to reach. In addition, HIV has a robust ability to reinfect a host from a point of undetectability hence the needs for lifelong treatments.
boroboro4 2y ago
Effectively HIV stops replication in a presence of the drug, similarly to HIV drug regimes used today. However HIV is a very nasty virus - it’s called retrovirus because it writes itself into cell’s DNA (nucleus/core). So while those cells are alive as soon as you stop taking medications you will have virus resurgance. Some of those cells are in bone marrow and permanent. Hence stopping the replication of HIV isn’t enough for cure.

TaylorAlexander 2y ago

This is wonderful to hear! I’m transgender, polyamorous, and on PrEP. Often trans people didn’t get to have the sex they really wanted for a long time, and after coming out there is this sense of liberation and joy along with a new found appreciation for sex. I’ve heard it said that “sex is an adult form of play” and that’s how I see it. It’s extremely fun to get together with another consenting adult and explore what feels nice together. PrEP has already been a game changer for our sense of safety and possibility. It’s always reassuring when you meet someone, find mutual interest, and then when discussing safety you find you’re both on PrEP and get regularly tested. I’ve never had this experience before as for a long time I dated in serial monogamy and had one new partner every three or four years. With an expansion of sexual partnership opportunities I’m learning so much about the myriad ways I enjoy relating to others, and finding so much fulfillment in this part of my life. These medications are truly wonderful. We owe so much to those who came before us and lived their truths despite the risks, blazed the trail for people like myself and our community today, and lost their lives or loved ones as a result. We should never forget the fight it took to gain this recognition, or the people who resisted our right to freedom along the way. I want to say also that I recognize this trial was largely among presumably heterosexual people in an HIV stricken region, but my experience is in the gay and trans community in the USA and I wanted to share a personal story of the value these drugs have had for us. My story will no doubt attract some weird comments, but I hope we all recognize the value of consenting adults making their own choices. We all deserve to find our joy, and I suspect most of us recognize the value of sex and pleasure in some form or another. I hope my story provides some insight in to what drugs like this can mean to communities around the world. Love to all people. <3 Edit: By the way here’s some book recommendations on polyamory. You too can find this joy if you’re in the right community and you develop the skills to handle things with maturity and respect, while identifying others who have done the same work. It’s been a ten year journey for me, but it has been well worth it. Books: “More Than Two, 2nd edition” (2nd edition is in preprint but recommended over the first) “Polysecure”, “Polywise”. Good luck exploring! Oh and finding a supporting therapist made all the difference for me in this journey too. That one is harder but see the directory on the Psychology Today website and take advantage of their filters.

jbgt 2y ago