Long‑acting implants and injections to prevent HIV
Official title: Sustained Release of Potent Antiviral Prodrugs for HIV Prevention
Funded at Oak Crest Institute of Science · NIH-11143810 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Long‑lasting, slow‑release antiviral approaches aim to help people at risk for HIV stay protected without taking daily pills.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oak Crest Institute of Science NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Monrovia, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $725,974 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI172541-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11143810 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people who are HIV‑negative and have ongoing risk of acquiring HIV and who want an alternative to daily oral PrEP.
✕Less likely to help
People already living with HIV, those allergic to the study drugs, or those not at risk for HIV are unlikely to benefit from this research directly.
What this research studies
If you are someone at ongoing risk for HIV, this research is developing medicines that slowly release antiviral drugs over months from implants or injections so you wouldn't need a daily pill. The team is designing prodrug formulations and delivery devices to hold effective drug levels for six months or longer while reducing the initial burst and the long low‑level tail seen with some current long‑acting injectables. Work includes laboratory formulation, animal testing, and planning for combination two‑drug approaches that may give broader and more durable protection. The goal is to create safer, removable, and more reliable long‑acting prevention options that could move into human trials in the future.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these methods could provide months of HIV protection from a single implant or injection, lowering the chance of infection by removing the need for daily pills.
How similar studies have gone: Long‑acting injectable cabotegravir has been approved for PrEP, showing the approach can work, but dual‑drug implants and the specific prodrug delivery strategies here are novel and still early‑stage.
Where this research is happening
-
Oak Crest Institute of Science
Monrovia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Baum, Marc Michael — Oak Crest Institute of Science
- Study coordinator: Baum, Marc Michael
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.