The Rio Trial tests whether a new type of therapy can keep HIV under control without daily antiretroviral treatment (ART) tablets. The novel therapy uses a combination of two experimental antibodies (called broadly neutralising monoclonal antibodies, or bNAbs) which have been designed by scientists at the Rockefeller University. We are interviewing Trial participants, clinical and research staff, as well as those people unwilling or ineligible to participate. We will try to understand the expectations and experiences of participation in the RIO Trial. In the historical context of HIV medicine and research, we will explore developments in personalised medicine and care, with associated ideas about the person and their health.

Our research is a sub-study of the RIO Trial. We work in collaboration with Chief Investigator Sarah Fidler (Imperial College NHS Trust), Co-Investigators Michel Nussenzweig (The Rockefeller University) and John Frater (University of Oxford), Trial staff and community representatives.

Ethics for the RIO Trial and our sub-study was approved by the NHS Health Research Authority, London – Westminster Research Ethics Committee, 19/LO/1669.