HIV-1 RNA levels in semen of people on 'short-cycle' antiretroviral therapy.

HIV reactivation from latency after treatment interruption occurs on average every 5-8 days-implications for HIV remission. Short-cycle ART, whereby virally suppressed people living with HIV (PLWH) switch to 4- or 5-days-on and 3- or 2-days-off maintenance treatment, has been shown to be a safe and effective alternative to standard daily treatment in a randomized clinical trial[1] and other small, not randomized, studies.[2],[3] Pharmacokinetic analyses showed low or undetectable plasma drug levels in the "off" period in some participants, without virological failure.[[2], [4]] PLWH on daily ART with suppressed plasma HIV RNA are advised that they can have unprotected sexual intercourse without transmitting the virus.[5] Recently, the ANRS 170 Quatour study group published results on semen HIV RNA amount in 78 participants[6] of the 4 days/week maintenance strategy study.[1] Their results supported that short-cycle therapy is effective in controlling genital HIV shedding. Pharmacological data of a successful 4-days-a-week regimen in HIV antiretroviral therapy (ANRS 162-4D trial). [Extracted from the article]