26th International Workshop on Clinical Pharmacology of HIV, Hepatitis, and Other Antiviral Drugs 2025

Key Take-Home Messages from This Edition

We are pleased to share with you the top 5 key take-home messages presented by our Workshop Chairs:

1. Global collaborations and ongoing support for HIV research: the thought-provoking opening plenary lecture, "North-South collaborations in clinical pharmacology research," provided an inspiring framework for fostering impactful partnerships between researchers in the global north and south. On the second day, the plenary, “NIH initiatives and research promoting antiviral pharmacology”, highlighted the National Institutes of Health (NIH) support for groundbreaking antiviral pharmacology research and reaffirmed the NIH’s ongoing commitment to scientific advancement in this field.
2. Drug interactions: New data offered insight and guidance on managing complex interactions between rifamycins and new/front-line antiretrovirals, including injectable lenacapavir and 2nd-generation integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs). An intriguing study showed that ChatGPT had limited accuracy (<50%) in identifying, classifying, and providing correct guidance on antiretroviral drug interactions compared to trusted HIV drug-drug interaction resources.
3. Considerations for HIV prevention (PEP and PrEP): Several excellent plenary sessions focused on pharmacologic considerations and challenges with strategies for HIV prevention through both post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). While HIV PEP and PrEP guidelines have recently been updated, real-world scenarios remain complex, requiring application of pharmacologic principles combined with a pragmatic approach for optimal implementation and patient acceptance.
4. Experience with LA-ART: Numerous presentations advanced our understanding of the pharmacokinetics of long-acting cabotegravir/rilpivirine (LA CAB/RPV) in clinical practice. Cutting-edge research highlighted drug concentrations in various compartments—including seminal fluid and hair strands—providing important insight on reservoirs and strategies for monitoring. To date, however, routine use of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) for LA CAB/RPV is not uniformly endorsed and varies across countries.
5. Key populations: Several plenaries and abstracts provided new insights on pharmacology considerations in key populations, including pregnancy, hormonal effects on drug metabolism and transporters, pharmacokinetics/TDM in infants and children, and emerging hepatitis strategies. A study in transgender women on gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) found no difference in exposures of bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide compared to cisgender women with HIV—providing reassurance that GAHT and first-line antiretroviral therapy may be co-prescribed safely. Continued research is imperative to optimize treatment efficacy and safety for all people who may benefit from HIV treatment and prevention strategies.