HIV and TB co-infections: latest updates and innovations

Sean Wasserman completed his MBChB and PhD at the University of Cape Town and obtained specialist qualifications in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa. He is a Consultant and Associate Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine at Groote Schuur Hospital and UCT. He is Co-Lead of the Clinical Research Platform at the Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa, and Associate Member of the Institute for Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine at UCT, where his main research area is treatment optimisation for tuberculosis and HIV-associated opportunistic infection. Sean is a pharmacologist on the ACTG Tuberculosis Transformative Science Group and a member of the NIH-CDC-HIVMA/IDSA Guidelines Committee for Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV.

Current major trials include PRESCIENT, a multi-center Phase 2c trial of an ultra-short regimen for drug- susceptible pulmonary TB (NCT05556746); REVIVE, a multi-country Phase 3 trial of azithromycin prophylaxis for advanced HIV (NCT05580666); and an ACTG study evaluating the use of double dose dolutegravir with rifapentine-based therapy for HIV-associated TB (NCT05630872). Sean is an investigator on the IMPRINT Fungal HIV Global Health Research Group where he leads a cohort study on pneumocystis pneumonia. He also leads a cohort study investigating predictors of treatment outcome for drug-resistant TB in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.

Sean was profiled by the Lancet journal as a ‘rising star in TB-HIV research and medicine’ and has received awards from the International Society for Infectious Diseases, the InterAcademy Partnership, and the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. Clinical interests include antimicrobial stewardship and infections in high-risk haematology patients.

Hema Srinivasan is the Chief Access Officer of MedAccess, where she leads a team of experts to envision and implement innovative financing partnerships with the aim of expanding access to health products and services in underserved communities. During her tenure at MedAccess, Hema and her team have negotiated eight financial guarantees that have supported over $400M of health product procurement and reached over 90 countries to-date.

Prior to joining MedAccess, Hema worked at Gilead Sciences as Senior Director for South Asia. In this capacity, Hema led Gilead’s business across the region and developed strategies to increase access to medicines for HIV, viral hepatitis, and invasive fungal infections.

Hema previously served as Associate Director of Global Markets at the Clinton Health Access Initiative. In this role, Hema helped to secure access agreements for long-acting contraceptives, HIV drugs and diagnostics, and maternal health products, generating over $500M in projected savings for purchasers. She also served as Convener of the Global Market Shaping Technical Resource Team of the UN Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children.

Hema also worked in Global Investment Research covering the Biotechnology and Healthcare Services sectors at Goldman Sachs and at Morgan Stanley.

She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Economics and Psychology.