UofU’s Sundquist named to Time magazine’s annual list of the world’s 100 most influential people

University of Utah Health researcher Wesley Sundquist has been named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world for his lab’s research leading to a highly effective drug that prevents HIV infections.

The Time list recognizes the impact, innovation, and achievement of the world’s most influential individuals.

The drug, Lenacapavir, was developed at Gilead Sciences and is exceptionally effective at preventing HIV. A single dose provides protection for six months.

In multiple clinical trials involving tens of thousands of people, Lenacapavir has shown 99.9 percent to 100 percent efficacy in preventing HIV — results that Sundquist described as “spectacularly successful.”

If distributed broadly, the drug has the potential to dramatically decrease infection rates worldwide. “It feels like our work has made a difference,” Sundquist added.

But the story of Lenacapavir started decades ago with basic, curiosity-driven research in Sundquist’s lab. The lab wasn’t specifically aiming to discover new therapies — rather, they were simply trying to understand how the HIV virus particle is put together. They discovered that one of the key components of the virus is extremely sensitive to change, a prime target for drug development.

Sundquist consulted with biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, which developed Lenacapavir. Sundquist’s collaborator at Gilead, Tomáš Cihlář, is a co-recipient of the Time honor.

“Today, we recognize Dr. Sundquist for his work that began more than 20 years ago as a quest to understand the structure of HIV and has now led to a medication that could prevent the spread of HIV worldwide,” said Dr. Rachel Hess, associate vice president for research at University of Utah Health. “This is an amazing example of fundamental research creating the environment to improve health around the globe.”

“By discovering fundamental aspects of HIV biology, Dr. Sundquist’s work has led to a lifesaving advancement in improving human health,” said Dr. Bob Carter, CEO for University of Utah Health and senior vice president for Health Sciences. “We’re honored that the global impact of his work has been recognized and incredibly proud that his work continues at UofU Health.”

Sundquist’s accomplishment is a testament to the critical role of basic science in forming the foundation of discoveries that save lives. “We view ourselves as, first of all, trying to understand the natural world, which I think has great intrinsic value,” Sundquist said. “But we also view ourselves as sort of the feedstock for new ways of approaching medicine.”

This story was furnished to the Salt Lake Business Journal by University of Utah Health.