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A large study in 11 countries tested whether infusions of monoclonal antibodies against HIV could protect people from infection.
HIV Vaccine Trials Network
Labmade antibodies can prevent HIV infection—but only if they match the virus
Jan. 26, 2021 , 10:05 AM
It has taken more than 4 years and $119 million for HIV researchers to test whether giving people infusions of antibodies made in a lab can protect them from the AIDS virus. Now, the unsatisfying answer is in: sometimes.
People who were given infusions of the monoclonal antibodies every 8 weeks had a 75% lower risk of becoming infected with HIV—but only if they were exposed to strains of the virus that remained susceptible to the antibody. Researchers say the strategy, which they hoped would provide “passive immunity”—in contrast to the active immunity triggered by vaccines, none of which exist for the AIDS virus—is likely to be more successful with recently developed monoclonal antibodies that work against a broader swath of HIV strains.