BBC: New Antibody Attacks 99% Of HIV Virus

The BBC is reporting that scientists at the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the pharmaceutical company Sanofi have developed an antibody that attacks 99% of HIV strains and can prevent infection in primates.

There are plans to begin human trials in 2018 to see if it can prevent or treat infections.

As we've known for years, a big challenge in defeating HIV has been the virus' ability to mutate and change its appearance.

But for a small number of patients, years of infection can lead to the development of "broadly neutralizing antibodies" that have the ability to kill large swaths of HIV strains.

Researchers have utilized 3 broadly neutralizing antibodies into one "tri-specific antibody" as an approach to treating HIV or perhaps preventing infection in the first place.

Dr Gary Nabel, the chief scientific officer at Sanofi and one of the report authors, told the BBC News website: "They are more potent and have greater breadth than any single naturally occurring antibody that's been discovered."

The best naturally occurring antibodies will target 90% of HIV strains.

"We're getting 99% coverage, and getting coverage at very low concentrations of the antibody," said Dr Nabel.

Experiments on 24 monkeys showed none of those given the tri-specific antibody developed an infection when they were later injected with the virus.

Dr Nabel said: "It was quite an impressive degree of protection."

(tipped by TRR reader Chad)