A Maryland-based biotech firm may have just cured HIV. That company recently submitted an FDA application for AGT103-T, an HIV therapy that could eliminate the virus in a single dose. If the agency approves the drug, clinical trials could begin as soon as January.
The news is a good reminder of how drug innovation can address the biggest public health crises of our time. Although medical progress benefits all patients, such breakthroughs are especially valuable to underserved communities. To keep this progress going, lawmakers can consider policies that encourage investments in breakthrough biomedical research and science education.
Many of the most serious health challenges our nation faces disproportionately affect minority and low-income people. Consider that rates of HIV/AIDS are higher among African Americans, Latinos, and economically disadvantaged populations than they are in the population as a whole.