EU2Cure Joint Statement to the European Commission to stand in alliance for HIV cure

In support of the Comment published in The Lancet HIV, ‘The imperative for increased investment for an HIV cure’, we, the undersigned clinicians, researchers, advocates and community representatives, endorse the call for a coordinated strong European alliance response to accelerate HIV cure research.

Inequity in access to available prevention tools and treatments made that, globally in 2024, 40.8 million people were living with HIV, 1.3 million people newly acquired HIV, and 630 000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses. These figures reflect not only a persistent public health crisis but also the daily psychological, social, and physical burdens associated with lifelong therapy, persistent stigma, economic hardship, and uncertain access to care. We cannot settle with the current status quo where resistance still emerges, transmission occurs, and excess comorbidity impacts the lives of millions. In a time of growing geopolitical instability and shrinking health protections, communities already facing social and economic exclusion are disproportionately affected. HIV cure research must be part of a broader strategy to advance equity, resilience, and human rights.

Recent scientific breakthroughs have shown that an HIV cure is biologically possible. Individuals have achieved long-term remission or cure through stem cell transplantation, and hundreds more exhibit post-treatment control as shown in studies predominantly coming from European laboratories. Promising avenues—including therapeutic vaccines, gene editing, broadly neutralizing antibodies, and reservoir-targeting strategies—are advancing rapidly thanks to innovations in single-cell analysis, AI integration, and drug development.

Despite this momentum, coordinated large-scale benchmark studies are still lacking and HIV cure research remains severely underfunded, with nearly 90% of global support coming from the U.S. Government. European research teams collaborating on U.S.-based HIV cure initiatives have recently been expelled, and ongoing disruptions to PEPFAR funding have exposed the vulnerability of global HIV programs to political instability. Europe must also invest in sustainable, autonomous solutions of relevance to global health, such as HIV cure research, to safeguard progress and reduce dependency on volatile foreign aid, while continuing to support prevention and treatment programs.

As private sector investments remain limited, the EU must step forward to fill this critical gap. The social need is evident: a cure is a permanent solution to the criminalization and stigma of people with HIV. The economic rationale is equally compelling: lifetime HIV treatment costs exceed €500,000 per person in high-income countries, and global infrastructural care demands are immense to monitor people for a lifetime. Cure research offers long-term health benefits, cost savings, and cross-cutting benefits for other chronic and infectious diseases. Europe has the scientific, clinical, and community expertise to lead this effort.

We call specifically on the European Commissioners and Members of Parliament, Member States, and funding bodies to:

1. Stand in strong alliance with academics and community representatives. For massive expansion of public funding to lead the needed fundamental to clinical breakthrough HIV cure research. For innovative academic consortia with disruptive ideas to stop HIV. For public-private partnerships in Europe and global wide partnerships for essential scalability of cure discoveries to reach all.
2. Ensure equitable inclusion of all global regions in EU-funded research consortia and trials, look beyond national agendas and support strong citizen engagement in HIV cure science.
3. Champion a coordinated global cure agenda with likeminded partners and as perpetual scientific safe haven where academic independence in HIV research has been or will be lost.

The EU has long been a leader in global health, democracy, and equal rights. Now, it has the opportunity to shape a critical phase of the HIV response. With strategic investment, partnership, and vision, the EU can help deliver a future where HIV no longer defines lives.