The National Institutes of Health held a congressional briefing July 9 at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC. Dr. Myron Cohen, director of the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, and Dr. Joe Eron, chief of infectious diseases, kicked off the briefing session with an overview of HIV treatment and prevention research, recognizing the critical need for continued investment.
NIH HIV and ID Treatment Research – Dr. Joe Eron
Dr. Eron, Vice Chair (co-PI) of the ACTG (Advancing Clinical Therapeutics Globally), described the network’s purpose, dedicated to curing HIV, reducing HIV-related diseases like tuberculosis and hepatitis, and preparing for emerging infections. He recognized how the network has pioneered antiretroviral therapies, developed treatments for opportunistic infections, and advanced understanding of HIV-associated aging and comorbidities. He also acknowledged how ACTG research has led to major breakthroughs in HIV treatment, including long-acting therapies and simplified regimens, and contributed to the approval of key medications, as well as playing a critical role in hepatitis elimination, TB treatment innovation, and emerging infection response, including COVID-19 and Mpox. And, he described how the ACTG’s work continues to shape global health strategies. Without it, progress in HIV cure, aging research, and infectious disease preparedness would be severely hindered.
Without the ACTG, Dr. Eron said the fight against HIV and related diseases would face major setbacks. An estimated 30,000 new HIV infections would continue annually in the U.S., and long-acting therapies for HIV, hepatitis C, and tuberculosis may not reach low- and middle-income countries. Promising efforts to eliminate HCV and develop new TB treatments would stall, leaving TB as the leading infectious disease killer. Groundbreaking research into aging, HIV cure strategies, and emerging infections would falter, as critical infrastructure and expertise would be lost. Behavioral studies would also diminish, weakening the broader understanding of how to improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations. Dr. Eron’s slide presentation can be accessed here.
NIH HIV Prevention Research – Dr. Myron Cohen
Dr. Myron S. Cohen outlined three key strategies for HIV prevention: promoting safer behaviors (such as condom use and safe injection practices), using treatment as prevention (TaSP), and implementing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Clinical trials have shown that treating HIV effectively eliminates transmission, and global efforts like the 95-95-95 initiative—achieved by countries like Botswana and Eswatini—have led to near-zero new infections. Despite a 38% global decline in new cases since 2010, over 1.3 million new infections still occur annually, especially among youth, men, and key populations. Oral PrEP has proven highly effective, and long-acting injectable options like cabotegravir and lenacapavir offer promising solutions to improve adherence and reduce stigma, advancing the goal of ending the HIV epidemic. Dr. Cohen also demonstrated the impact of an international HIV funding crisis on HIV infections and mortality in low-income and middle-income countries with a modeling study. Dr. Cohen’s slide presentation can be reviewed here.
In a published briefing document, the NIH recognized “infectious diseases never end,” and that “continued functional research capacity always needs to be maintained.” The NIH briefing also provided an example to demonstrate.
A new COVID-19 strain has developed and the possibility of bird flu being transmitted from animals to humans, which poses the risk of exponentially higher mortality rates, currently hangs over America like the Sword of Damocles. Will we be ready to meet these infectious disease challenges as well as all the other many diseases and medical conditions we face now and in the future? The honest answer is no, not without at least level funding. We would never cut the armed forces budget by 42%. The NIH is our first line of defense against life-threatening medical conditions and should never suffer such unfathomable budget cuts that will cause funding to be decreased to 2003 levels as well as increased sickness and death among everyday Americans.” Find the briefing document here.
Up to date information about HIV funding and other issues can be found at the Save HIV Funding Campaign.