OHSU HIV Newborn Cure Study

Researchers at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) published a study in Nature Microbiology showing that a combination of three HIV therapies—neutralizing antibodies, standard antiretroviral therapy, and the experimental monoclonal antibody leronlimab—permanently cleared the virus in newborn nonhuman primates when administered within three days of infection. The study, led by Jonah Sacha and Nancy Haigwood, was conducted at the Oregon and California National Primate Research Centers. The combination proved more potent than any single therapy, with leronlimab blocking HIV entry via CCR5. The findings could lead to clinical trials in humans, potentially offering a one-time cure for newborns and possibly newly exposed adults. The research was funded by the United States — National Institutes of Health. OHSU disclosed that Sacha and co-author Scott Hansen have significant financial interests in CytoDyn, which has commercial interest in leronlimab.