A ground-breaking HIV cure trial conducted in Durban has shown promising results in achieving antiretroviral therapy (ART)-free virus control.

The trial revealed that 20% of participants remained off ART and were virally suppressed one-and-a-half years after treatment.

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) said these results were presented at the 2025 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, currently under way in San Francisco, USA.

The study tested a promising HIV treatment approach called combination immunotherapy. The goal was to either eliminate or reduce hidden traces of HIV in the body so the immune system could keep the virus in check without lifelong medication.

In the study, researchers treated participants with antiretrovirals soon after they acquired HIV. “Once the virus was controlled by ART, they administered powerful immune boosters, which help the immune system fight the virus more effectively.

“Under close medical supervision, participants then stopped ART to see if their bodies could control the virus on their own,” UKZN said in a statement.

Twenty women were enrolled in the trial. Results showed that 30% of participants (six out of 20) were able to stay off HIV treatment for nearly a year, and 20% (four participants) remained off treatment until the trial ended at 55 weeks.

Even after the trial, these four individuals, who are still being closely monitored, have continued without medication for an average of one-and-a-half years

UKZN professor Thumbi Ndung’u, the director for basic and translational science at the Africa Health Research Institute, said while the treatment approach didn’t work for most participants, it is still a significant development in HIV cure research.