Those familiar with the controversy surrounding HIV and AIDS are no doubt aware of the multitude of problems with the so called “viral load” test for HIV RNA. As a brief explanation for those who are not, “viral load” tests became de rigueur in the clinical management of HIV positive individuals because they were popularized at the advent of “HAART” (“highly active antiretroviral therapy”), which itself came to being thanks to the infamous Ho/Wei papers from 1996. These papers have been roundly criticized - some including me would argue that they have been discredited entirely - even by mainstream mathematicians and scientists, but no matter. Their influence has not died.
Viral Load fits into the bigger big pharma scheme of unvalidated surrogate markers. A particularly egregious example is the use of viral load testing to diagnose "chronic" hepatitis C infections - approved by the FDA in 1997. The new miracle cure wonder drugs for Hepatitis C are all based upon a PCR "Sustained Virological Response" (SVR).
Here is a respected Hepatitis C doctor explaining why Hepatitis C viral load testing is a scam:
For a novel twist on "HIV" viral load, and the possibility of clinical utility outside the HIV theory of AIDS, see https://www.bmj.com/content/363/bmj.k4419/rr
Viral Load fits into the bigger big pharma scheme of unvalidated surrogate markers. A particularly egregious example is the use of viral load testing to diagnose "chronic" hepatitis C infections - approved by the FDA in 1997. The new miracle cure wonder drugs for Hepatitis C are all based upon a PCR "Sustained Virological Response" (SVR).
Here is a respected Hepatitis C doctor explaining why Hepatitis C viral load testing is a scam:
https://www.healio.com/news/hepatology/20160413/expert-svr-does-not-equate-to-a-cure-in-hcv