HIVACAR · Evaluating a Combination of Immune-based Therapies to Achieve a Functional Cure of HIV Infection

The main goal of HIVACAR proposal is to change the current paradigm of HIV treatment by obtaining a functional cure for HIV (i.e., control of viral load to levels below the threshold of 50 copies/ml and maintenance of high CD4+ T-cell count after discontinuation of antiretroviral therapy) thanks to effectively targeting residual virus replication and viral reservoirs. In order to do so, the planned novel strategy is to successfully combine immune-based therapies, including therapeutic vaccines and broadly neutralizing antibodies with latency reversing agents, in a proof-of-concept phase IIa clinical trial. HIVACAR project will lead to a reduction of the actual costs related to HIV treatment and management and of the social public health as well as an improvement in the patients’ quality of life. HIVACAR project has been conceived under the framework of responsible research and innovation, so patients and other stakeholders will have a key role from the inception of the project until obtaining the results. Patients will be perfectly aware of how this therapy has been conceived and the real impact and change in their actual quality of life, as well as how the clinical trial has been designed and the consequences of participating in it. In addition, patients (and the general population) will tailor the project and its results dissemination and communication. This patient engagement will not be limited to the clinical trial but also to the rest of the activities of the project, so patients and the general society will be aware of how the research is developed and can include the patients’ point of view in the research activities. In addition, the socio-economic and psycho-social impact of the new treatment will be also analysed so overwhelming data on the benefits and impact of the new treatment will be obtained and shown to all the stakeholders.