Future of HIV Treatment

Friday, 5 June - 10:10 - 10:55

Antiretroviral therapy has been one of the greatest innovations in the history of public health. In this plenary, Dr. Lawrence will provide an overview of the past, present, and future of antiretroviral therapy, with a focus on the ever-increasing landscape of two-drug regimens and long-acting formulations. Collectively, these innovations have the capacity to transform HIV prevention and care globally. Combining pre-clinical, clinical trial, and implementation science data, Dr. Lawrence will explore what the future of HIV treatment may look like, describe the potential shortcomings of novel treatment approaches, and consider strategies that will be required to facilitate widespread implementation. 

Speaker: Dr. David Lawrence (UK)

Broadly neutralising anti-HIV antibodies (bNAbs) beyond treatment 

Friday, 5 June - 10:55-11:40

Broadly neutralising anti-HIV antibodies (bNAbs) can be used for HIV prevention (prophylaxis), treatment, and potential cure/remission strategies. BNAbs can, in addition to direct neutralisation of cell-free virus, also engage the immune system through their Fc domains and form antibody–antigen immune complexes, which have led to improved HIV-1-specific immunity - known as a vaccinal effect. During this plenary, we will dive into the details of using bNAbs beyond treatment with a focus on their use in potential cure/remission strategies. 

Speaker: Dr. Jesper Damsgaard Gunst

Women in migration – WAVE

Friday, 5 June - 11:40-12:25 

Over the past decade, in the EU/EEA countries, the proportion of migrants with a known region of origin among reported HIV diagnoses has increased. According to the ECDC report, women and migrants from South and South-East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are among those among which late HIV diagnosis (defined as CD4 count<350cells/mm3) was most frequently observed. Migrant women face many barriers to HIV testing and prevention. The aim of the WAVE Seray – Women in Migration project is to identify these barriers among migrant women living in Greece, Italy, and Poland. 

Speaker: Dr. Dagny Krankowska (Poland)

Driving research forward using a European Network 

Friday, 5 June - 12:25-12:45

How can a research idea grow into a multi-country collaboration with real-world impact? Using #aware.hiv Europe as a case study, this plenary explores how European networks can accelerate research and implementation. Key elements include building trust, aligning goals, navigating different healthcare systems, and translating evidence into practice. The session moves beyond the “why” of research to focus on the “when”, “how”, and “who”: timing, context, and collaboration. Participants will gain practical insights into using networks strategically to strengthen their research and increase impact across settings. 

Speaker: Klaske Vliegenthart (Netherlands)

STI Screening among PrEP users - pro & con discussion

Friday, 5 June - 16:55 - 17:35

Screening for N. gonorrhea and C. trachomatis in asymptomatic men who have sex with men and transgender women taking PrEP will be debated, including a presentation of the most recent data available and differences between guidelines.

Speakers: Con presented by Agnès Libois and Pro presented by Giovanni Villa

Updates from Major Conferences  

Saturday, 6 June - 8:30-9:00

Highlights from the European AIDS Clinical Society Conference 2025 and the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections 2026 reflect continued evolution toward simpler, durable, and personalised HIV care. EACS 2025 focused on the clinical implementation of long-acting cabotegravir/rilpivirine, switch strategies in virologically suppressed patients, and challenges such as low-level viremia, resistance after long-acting failure, weight gain with integrase inhibitors, and ageing-related co-morbidities. CROI 2026 highlighted advances in lenacapavir-based long-acting treatment and PrEP, alongside studies of broadly neutralizing antibodies and cure-directed strategies targeting the viral reservoir. Together, these meetings underscore strong therapeutic innovation while emphasising that funding preservation and equitable global access to prevention and treatment remain the central challenge in HIV care. 

Speaker: Dr. Karolina Akinosoglou (Greece)

European Clinical Research Alliance on Infectious Diseases 

Saturday, 6 June - 9:00 -9:45

The European Clinical Research Alliance for Infectious Diseases (Ecraid) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing clinical research in the field of infectious diseases through international collaboration. Established to strengthen Europe’s preparedness and response capacity, Ecraid is the first network of its kind in Europe to offer a single point of access to key academic opinion leaders and a ‘warm-base’ clinical research network spanning over 1,200 clinical sites and 900 laboratories across 42 European countries.  

In her presentation, Miranda will highlight Ecraid’s activities, including its collaborative ‘warm-base’ network infrastructure, partnerships and clinical studies, and service portfolio, as well as its role in supporting infectious diseases research across Europe and beyond. 

Speaker: Mrs. Miranda Hopman (Netherlands)