$11M funding supports HIV research projects

Montreal. QC – Two researchers who are leading projects that aim to find a cure for HIV have received a total of $10.7 million in funding through the Canadian Initiative for HIV Cure Research. The researchers and their projects are as follows:

• Dr. Eric Cohen at the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM) will receive $8.7 million to support the Canadian HIV Cure Enterprise: a collaboration of leading Canadian HIV researchers who will carry out an integrated and innovative research program focused on eliminating persistent HIV infection in patients on antiretroviral therapy.
• Dr. Hugo Soudeyns at the CHU Sainte-Justine will receive $2 million to study the effectiveness of early intensive treatment with antiretroviral drugs for curing babies and children who acquire HIV from their mothers during pregnancy.

The Canadian Initiative for HIV Cure Research is a partnership between the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR) and the International AIDS Society (IAS). The initiative is aligned with the priorities of Towards an HIV Cure, a global scientific strategy led by the IAS.

“Finding a cure for HIV and AIDS is within reach and together with our partners, we have an opportunity to support a global research initiative dedicated to that purpose,” says Christopher Bunting, president and chief executive officer, CANFAR. “With HIV on the rise it is more important than ever to end AIDS globally and we know that through research and collaboration, we have a chance to bring this epidemic to its knees.”