HIV Prevention and Treatment Advances Take Center Stage at IAS 2025

The International AIDS Society (IAS) 2025 conference in Kigali, Rwanda has become a showcase for the latest developments in HIV prevention and treatment, with pharmaceutical giants Gilead, ViiV Healthcare, and Merck presenting groundbreaking data on their respective products and pipelines.

Gilead's Yeztugo Demonstrates Efficacy in Diverse Populations

Gilead Sciences is building on the momentum of its recently approved long-acting HIV prevention injectable, Yeztugo. The biannual pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) option, which received landmark approval last month, is now showing promise in vulnerable populations.

Data from the Phase III PURPOSE program revealed that Yeztugo was "efficacious and well tolerated" in pregnant and lactating women, as well as in young people aged 16 to 25 years. Notably, none of the 184 pregnant and lactating women treated with Yeztugo contracted HIV, and infant exposure through breastfeeding was reported as "minimal."

Gilead also presented modeling data suggesting Yeztugo's potential efficacy in patients with tuberculosis, addressing a critical need for HIV prevention in this high-risk group. The company is actively pursuing global regulatory clearances and has signed an agreement with the Global Fund to provide Yeztugo to low- and middle-income countries simultaneously with high-income nations.

ViiV Healthcare's Apretude and Cabenuva Show Real-World Benefits

ViiV Healthcare, a joint venture between GSK, Pfizer, and Shionogi, presented data from implementation trials demonstrating the acceptability and feasibility of Apretude, their long-acting PrEP injection given every other month. The PILLAR and EBONI trials showed high satisfaction rates among diverse demographic groups, including transgender men, Black women, and men who have sex with men (MSM).

Additionally, ViiV showcased real-world data for Cabenuva, their injectable combination of cabotegravir and rilpivirine for HIV treatment. The VOLITION study revealed that 89% of virally suppressed patients chose to switch to Cabenuva from daily oral pills, citing convenience and reduced worry about missed doses. The BEYOND study further demonstrated that 97% of patients switching to Cabenuva maintained viral suppression at 24 months.

Merck Advances Monthly Oral PrEP to Phase III Trials

Merck announced the launch of its Phase III EXPrESSIVE program to study MK-8527, a once-monthly oral nucleoside reverse transcriptase translocation inhibitor for HIV prevention. The program includes two major trials: EXPrESSIVE-11, set to enroll over 8,500 high-risk participants across 16 countries, and EXPrESSIVE-10, focusing on women and adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa.

This development marks Merck's return to late-stage PrEP research following the discontinuation of their islatravir program in 2022 due to safety concerns. The company will present encouraging Phase II data for MK-8527 at IAS 2025, supporting its advancement to late-stage development.

Merck also reported progress in HIV treatment, with the FDA recently accepting a new drug application for a combination regimen of islatravir and doravirine for adults with virologically suppressed HIV-1.

As the IAS 2025 conference continues, these advancements in HIV prevention and treatment underscore the pharmaceutical industry's ongoing commitment to combating the global HIV epidemic through innovative, long-acting, and patient-friendly options.