The SEARCH010/RV254 participants serve as a valuable resource for the increasing interest in the field of HIV cure. HIV Remission or cure studies explored the potential of HIV remission with or without treatment interruption with very early ART (RV411), therapeutic HIV vaccine (RV405), broadly neutralizing antibodies (RV397 and RV398) and drugs targeting the HIV reservoir (RV550) have been completed or currently on going with participants enrolled from the SEARCH010/RV254 study. The field is currently moving towards combining interventions that decrease the so-called latent HIV reservoir, which needs to be limited to attain HIV remission, with interventions that boost the immune system to control whatever HIV reservoir remains. One study, SEARCH036/RV550, which investigates the effect of an IL-15 superagonist on the lymph nodes is currently underway. Another study (SEARCH038/RV582) related to HIV cure/remission combining these cure strategies is currently in preparation. Participants who finish the HIV cure studies are then followed up in SEARCH025/RV412.

Bexsero Study is a Phase II, randomized, observer-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-site trial of the FDA licensed rMenB+OMVNZ vaccine, Bexsero. The primary objective of the study is to demonstrate efficacy of Bexsero in prevention of urogenital and/or anorectal gonococcal infection. The targeted study population is men and women 18-50 years of age who are disproportionately vulnerable to N.gonorrhoeae infection. Approximately 2,200 participants globally are expected to be enrolled. The study site managed by SEARCH is at the Chulalongkorn Faculty of Medicine in Bangkok, Thailand. The site is expected to enroll 500 participants and more than 50% have already been enrolled in 2022.

As HIV cure and vaccine studies demand a lot from volunteers with very little promise of immediate personal gain or benefit, a behavioral study team independent from the clinical study team and led by Prof. Gail Henderson of the University of North Carolina is conducted interviews among SEARCH010/RV254 participants. The aim is to explore the expectations, intentions, decision making and decision satisfaction of RV254 participants related to HIV remission trials. More than 400 SEARCH010/RV254 participants completed a survey regarding their ideas about, understanding of, expectations of, and intentions towards functional HIV cure studies. In addition, participants who were approached to join functional cure studies have been interviewed about their decision to join or not join, and subsequent satisfaction with their decision after the respective studies were completed.