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Reposted by Ming Lee

RIO Trial @riotrial.bsky.social · Apr 23

@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

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RIO Trial @riotrial.bsky.social · Apr 23

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 ⬆️

The RIO study: Q&A about controlling HIV with bNAbs | HTB | HIV i-Base

i-base.info

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Ming Lee @drmjlee.bsky.social · Apr 10

LS-bNAbs were detectable in the gut up to 6m after a single dose, but tissue bNAbs exposurewere 7-8x lower compared to blood.

This long term viral control does not appear to be due to tissue persistence of LS-bNAbs.

Ming Lee @drmjlee.bsky.social · Apr 10

Of these group, some experienced rebound while bNAbs were still high, some when the bNAbs were below the 10ug/ml threshold (previously thought to be when bNAbs are no longer effective), and some people who remained fully suppressed despite no bNAbs on board.

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Ming Lee @drmjlee.bsky.social · Apr 10

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 · Apr 10

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

Ming Lee presenting his conference talk titled 'The use of long-acting broadly neutralising antibodies to confer HIV viral control'

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Ming Lee @drmjlee.bsky.social · Apr 8

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.

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Reposted by Ming Lee

RIO Trial @riotrial.bsky.social · Mar 13

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.

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Ming Lee @drmjlee.bsky.social · Mar 12

As RIO and other groups have shown, bNAbs may be most promising as an immunotherapeutic intervention to enhance immun rasponsew, rather than as ART treatment. #CROI2025

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Ming Lee @drmjlee.bsky.social · Mar 12

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

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Dr Laura Waters @drlaurajwaters.bsky.social · Mar 12

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.

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Ming Lee @drmjlee.bsky.social · Mar 12

Tecovirimat did not lead to faster clinical resolution, or reduction of pain, for clade 2 MPOX.

We need new agents to treat MPOX.

#CROI2025

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Ming Lee @drmjlee.bsky.social · Mar 12

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

#CROI2025

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Ming Lee @drmjlee.bsky.social · Mar 12

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

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Ming Lee @drmjlee.bsky.social · Mar 12

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

Reposted by Ming Lee

Jillian Lau @jillianlau.bsky.social · Mar 12

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.

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Reposted by Ming Lee

Liz Highleyman @lizhighleyman.bsky.social · Mar 12

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.

www.poz.com

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Ming Lee @drmjlee.bsky.social · Mar 12

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

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Ming Lee @drmjlee.bsky.social · Mar 12

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 · Mar 11

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-...

Two More People May Be Cured of HIV After Stem Cell Transplants

One experienced viral rebound after an initial treatment interruption but remains in remission after stopping antiretrovirals a second time.

www.poz.com

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Reposted by Ming Lee

TAGHIVscience @taghivscience.bsky.social · Mar 12

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

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Reposted by Ming Lee

RIO Trial @riotrial.bsky.social · Mar 11

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

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Reposted by Ming Lee

RIO Trial @riotrial.bsky.social · Mar 11

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

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by Ming Lee

RIO Trial @riotrial.bsky.social · Mar 11

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.

Prof Sarah Fidler, RIO Chief Investigator, presenting the primary outcome results at the CROI Conference yesterday, 10 Mar 2025.

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Ming Lee @drmjlee.bsky.social · Mar 11

Yes, we need more longer acting options!

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Ming Lee @drmjlee.bsky.social · Mar 11

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 · Mar 11

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

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Reposted by Ming Lee

Dr Laura Waters @drlaurajwaters.bsky.social · Mar 10

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

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