Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 29 July 2026 — The 26th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2026), held from 26 to 31 July in Rio de Janeiro, delivered a series of advances that could reshape HIV treatment paradigms while casting a sharp spotlight on the damage inflicted by global funding cuts to HIV programmes in Africa. From a once-weekly oral treatment regimen to the first African-led HIV vaccine trial, the conference underscored both scientific progress and the fragility of the global HIV response.
Once-Weekly Oral Treatment: The ISLEND Trials
The most closely watched presentation came on 29 July, when researchers presented detailed results from the Phase 3 ISLEND-1 and ISLEND-2 clinical trials. These studies evaluated a once-weekly oral single-tablet regimen combining islatravir (2 mg) and lenacapavir (300 mg) — developed by Gilead Sciences and Merck — in adults living with HIV who were already virologically suppressed.
The data are intended to form the basis for future regulatory submissions, positioning the combination as a potential first-in-class once-weekly oral HIV treatment option. The trials included participants in South Africa, making the findings directly relevant to African populations bearing the highest HIV burden.
Long-Acting Injectables: Lenacapavir for PrEP
Data on twice-yearly lenacapavir for HIV prevention (PrEP) continued to show high efficacy and safety in the PURPOSE 1 and PURPOSE 2 trials, building on the landmark results that first demonstrated lenacapavir's potential as a long-acting PrEP option. The LATA study, involving adolescents, showed that injectable cabotegravir and rilpivirine administered every eight weeks was preferred by most participants over daily oral pills and was effective at 96 weeks.
BRILLIANT 011: Africa's First Indigenous HIV Vaccine Trial
In January 2026, the BRILLIANT 011 first-in-human clinical trial was launched at the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation in Cape Town, South Africa. The trial represents a landmark for African-led research:
- It focuses on HIV strains circulating in Southern Africa, rather than strains prevalent in the Global North
- It is conducted by a consortium of researchers from across the African continent
- It marks a shift from African sites serving as testing locations for externally designed trials to African institutions leading the scientific development of new tools
Another ongoing effort, the IAVI G004 Phase 1 trial, which began in early 2026, utilises a "germline targeting" strategy aimed at coaching the immune system to produce broadly neutralising antibodies (bNAbs).
Cure and Remission Research
Researchers from South Africa and Botswana presented findings at CROI 2026 regarding children who started antiretroviral therapy (ART) very early after birth. Some of these children showed an ability to maintain viral suppression after stopping treatment, with some remaining undetectable while on broadly neutralising antibodies.
However, bNAbs research has produced mixed results. The CAPRISA 012C trial, which tested a combination of two bNAbs administered subcutaneously every six months, was found to be safe but did not reduce overall HIV incidence — a reminder that the path to an HIV cure remains long.
The Funding Crisis
A major theme at AIDS 2026 was the negative impact of recent global HIV funding disruptions, particularly the effects of US policy changes on service delivery in Africa.
The closure of more than 1,700 service delivery sites represents a structural blow to HIV programmes that had been built over two decades. Conference presenters reported significant drops in PrEP initiations, HIV testing, and linkage to care in affected countries.
Shift Toward African Leadership
A recurring theme at AIDS 2026 was the push for African governments and institutions to take greater ownership of HIV research. The 2026 HIV Research Community Symposium in Kampala, held ahead of the main conference, highlighted the increasing demand for African-led science — moving beyond serving as trial sites to becoming leaders in the scientific development of new diagnostics, treatments, and prevention tools.
The BRILLIANT 011 trial exemplifies this shift. By focusing on HIV strains circulating in Southern Africa and being led by an African research consortium, it addresses a long-standing critique that HIV vaccine candidates have been designed primarily against strains prevalent in the Global North, where the epidemic is concentrated in different populations.
Sources
- International AIDS Society: 26th International AIDS Conference, Rio de Janeiro, 26–31 July 2026.
- International AIDS Society: AIDS 2026 Key Takeaways.
- Gilead Sciences/MSD press release: Investigational once-weekly oral HIV treatment regimen of islatravir and lenacapavir maintained virological suppression.
- WHO at AIDS 2026.
- IAVI: BRILLIANT 011 and IAVI G004 trial information.
- aidsmap: Once-weekly islatravir/lenacapavir combination pill maintains HIV viral suppression.
FIRAT Editorial Board
Institutional Research Desk · Foresight Institute of Research and Translation
The collective editorial and research translation board of FIRAT, synthesising peer-reviewed evidence, policy briefs, and division milestones across our seven foundational research pillars.
