Therapeutic HIV vaccines and broadly neutralizing antibodies

Therapeutic vaccines and broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) represent potential approaches to antiretroviral-free treatment of HIV. Although therapeutic vaccines have been able to produce transient reductions in viral load during analytic treatment interruptions (ATIs), thus far none has been able to induce long-term remission. Pairing with latency reversal agents and immune modulators may improve vaccine efficacy. The bNAbs are investigated as a promising approach to achieving durable virologic control in the absence of antiretroviral therapy. Combinations of antibodies are necessary for increasing overall breadth and potency of coverage and preventing emergence of resistance. The next generation of antibodies includes engineered bispecific and trispecific antibodies that target 2 or 3 independent viral sites. This article is based on a presentation by Magdalena E. Sobieszczyk, MD, MPH, at the International Antiviral Society-USA (IAS-USA) continuing education program held in New York in March 2019.