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.