03 August 2018: vol 19 no 13: AIDS 2018 – first reports

This issue of HTB includes the first reports from the 22nd International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2018) that was held from 23 – 27 July 2018 in Amsterdam.

While HTB featured the likely headline news before the meeting, thanks to the early online conference schedule, the real stories are in the detailed presentations.

So HTB reports include links to the abstract and to the webcasts and the slides are linked to the session section of the programme.

The PARTNER2 study is a highlight worth 10 minutes of everyone’s web time. This is as important to see the audience response to the results as for the results themselves. PARTNER2 provides a dataset to support the U=U campaign, that is already widely endorsed by IAS, the US CDC, BHIVA and NHIVNA.

AIDS 2018 also provided the first public forums on the issues of wider access to dolutegravir (DTG) since the recent concern over use during conception. One of the many community demands during AIDS 2018 was from women living with HIV that this potential signal should not be used to delay DTG roll-out. We include several reports on these issues including new WHO recommendations.

Other reports include the GEMINI studies (DTG/3TC dual ART), reduced-dose darunavir/r (400/100 once-daily), DTG use in Brazil, the UK RIVER cure study and PrEP news for transwomen and in use by gay men in Paris.

Further reports will be included in the next issues of HTB, which will also be posted online as early access reports as they become available.