We're expanding our pipeline into infectious disease with the launch of INF-001—a program targeting the HIV latent reservoir with the goal of achieving functional cure.

The Unmet Need

While antiretroviral therapy (ART) has transformed HIV from a death sentence to a manageable chronic condition, it doesn't cure the disease. HIV hides in latent reservoirs—long-lived cells where the virus integrates into DNA and waits. If ART stops, the virus rebounds from these reservoirs.

A true cure for HIV requires eliminating or permanently silencing these latent reservoirs.

Our AI's Discovery

Our AI Scientist analyzed multi-omics data from HIV patients across different stages of infection and treatment:

  • Identified molecular signatures of cells harboring latent HIV
  • Discovered vulnerabilities in these cells that could be therapeutically targeted
  • Found potential biomarkers for measuring reservoir size and activity
  • Proposed a novel mechanism for inducing selective elimination of infected cells

The approach is distinct from current "shock and kill" or "block and lock" strategies—it targets the reservoir through a previously unexplored pathway.

Early Validation

In collaboration with academic partners specializing in HIV research, we've validated key aspects of the AI's hypothesis:

  • Confirmed the molecular signature in patient samples
  • Demonstrated proof-of-concept in cell-based models
  • Identified initial hit compounds targeting the pathway

Why HIV?

This might seem like a departure from our oncology focus, but there's significant biological overlap:

  • Both involve understanding cellular survival and death mechanisms
  • Both require systems-level analysis of complex host-pathogen interactions
  • Both benefit from our Digital Patient modeling capabilities

Our AI identified the HIV opportunity precisely because it could make these cross-domain connections.

Program Goals

INF-001 aims to develop a therapeutic that:

  1. Selectively targets cells harboring latent HIV
  2. Works in combination with standard ART
  3. Achieves sustained viral suppression after treatment interruption
  4. Eventually enables treatment-free remission

What's Next

We're actively advancing INF-001 through early discovery while seeking partnerships with organizations focused on HIV cure research. This is a long-term program with significant scientific risk, but the potential impact—a functional cure for HIV—justifies that risk.