Pediatric HIV Still A Threat in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest global population of pediatric HIV patients, with 1.3 million children infected as of 2022, according to UNAIDS. While pediatric infection rates have declined more than 60% since 2010, approximately 120,000 children still acquire HIV every year.

“Current pediatric HIV treatment is weight-based, has limited formulations and requires perfect daily adherence, which is impossible in settings where families travel hours to receive care,” Amir Ardeshir, Ph.D., DVM, associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Tulane University, said in a recent interview with Managed Healthcare Executive.

Ardeshir is the lead author of a recent preclinical trial study in which newborn infant rhesus macaques were injected with an antibody called 3BNC117. Results showed nearly 90% of injected monkeys produced antibodies that protected them from HIV for at least three years, suggesting the therapy may someday be applicable to human infants.