HIV Prevention Trials Network

HIV Prevention Trials Network
Nonprofit organization
Industry HIV Prevention Research
Headquarters Durham, North Carolina, United States
Key people

Myron Cohen, MD, HPTN co-Principal Investigator

Wafaa El-Sadr MD, MPH, MPA, HPTN co-Principal Investigator
Website www.hptn.org

The HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) is a worldwide collaborative clinical trials network that brings together investigators, ethicists, community and other partners to develop and test the safety and efficacy of interventions designed to prevent the acquisition and transmission of HIV. HPTN studies evaluate new HIV prevention interventions and strategies in populations and geographical regions that bear a disproportionate burden of infection.

The HPTN research agenda is focused primarily on the use of integrated strategies: use of antiretroviral drugs (antiretroviral therapy and pre-exposure prophylaxis); interventions for substance abuse, particularly injection drug use; behavioral risk reduction interventions and structural interventions. The HPTN is committed to the highest ethical standards for its clinical trials and recognizes the importance of community engagement in all phases of the research process.

The HPTN was established in 2000, building on the work of the HIV Network for Prevention Trials (HIVNET). HPTN’s Leadership and Operations Center (LOC), is based at FHI 360, Durham, NC. Its Laboratory Center (LC) is at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD and its Statistical and Data Management Center (SDMC) is housed within the Statistical Center for HIV/AIDS Research and Prevention (SCHARP) at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington.

HPTN receives its funding from three NIH institutes: the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Snapshot

  • 53 trials ongoing or completed
  • More than 161,000 study participants enrolled
  • 300+ publications
  • 86 sites in 19 countries

Mission statement

The HPTN is dedicated to the discovery and development of new and innovative research strategies to reduce the acquisition and transmission of HIV.

Leadership

The HPTN leadership group is a subset of the Executive Committee (EC). The EC includes investigators from the Clinical Trials Units (CTUs), the Leadership and Operations Center (LOC), the Statistical and Data Management Center (SDMC), the Laboratory Center (LC), Community representatives, National Institutes of Health (NIH) representatives, and other individuals with expertise in HPTN scientific research areas.

The EC, under the direction of HPTN Principal Investigators (PIs) Myron Cohen, MD, and Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, MPH, MPA, in conjunction with the NIH, sets the research priorities of the HPTN and directs its scientific agenda.

Network groups and committees

The HPTN is a global network of investigators from Clinical Trials Units (CTUs), Leadership and Operations Center (LOC) which includes recognized experts in HIV prevention, leadership partners from the network Laboratory Center (LC) and Statistical and Data Management Center (SDMC) and various working groups (WGs) and committees charged with the scientific management and operational support of the network.

The EC Chair recommends, and the full EC approves, chair(s) and membership of the HPTN committees. Committee members serve for the duration of the cooperative agreement, and chairs serve three-year terms unless otherwise specified. Terms of committee chairs may be extended with the approval of the EC Chair. In addition to the scientific committees and working groups, there are five key standing Network oversight and operations committees: Science Review Committee (SRC), Study Monitoring Committee (SMC), Manuscript Review Committee (MRC), Performance Evaluation Committee (PEC), and Policies and Procedures Group (PPG).

Studies

HPTN studies strive to prevent HIV infection through the use of antiretroviral drugs, interventions for substance abuse, behavioral risk reduction, and structural interventions.

HPTN research studies are developed by protocol teams that include CTU investigators and recognized experts in HIV prevention. As study protocols are developed, they undergo a rigorous intra- and extra-Network review process that ensures compliance with current ethical guidelines and regulatory procedures.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) strategies

Antiviral Drugs

Monoclonal Antibodies

The HPTN and the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) are studying monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that may protect people from HIV infection. These studies will guide the development of new ways to prevent HIV. They will also guide future vaccine development that could help to end HIV.

Integrated strategies

  • HPTN 078 is a US-based research study designed to develop and determine the effectiveness of a combined HIV prevention strategy that includes a method to identify, recruit, and link men who have sex with men (MSM) to HIV care and an intervention to help HIV-infected MSM achieve and maintain viral suppression (low level of HIV in the body).
  • HPTN 075 aimed to determine the feasibility of recruiting and retaining men who have sex with men (MSM) in a multi-country prospective cohort study in preparation for HIV prevention studies in sub-Saharan Africa.
  • HPTN 074 aims to determine the feasibility of a future trial that would assess whether an integrated intervention combining psychosocial counseling and supported referrals for antiretroviral therapy (ART) at any CD4 cell count and substance use treatment for HIV-infected people who inject drugs (PWID) would reduce HIV transmission to HIV-uninfected injection partners, as compared to routine care dictated by national guidelines for HIV-infected PWID.
  • HPTN 071 Population Effects of Antiretroviral Therapy to Reduce HIV Transmission (PopART) is a research study that examined the impact of a package of HIV prevention interventions on community-level HIV incidence. The prevention interventions included universal voluntary HIV counseling and testing provided at household level, linkage of HIV infected individuals to care and early initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for all those testing HIV-positive. The study was conducted in 21 communities in the Western Cape of South Africa, and in Zambia.

Scholars program

HPTN offers two scholarship programs for early-career investigators funded through a supplement from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The HPTN Scholars Program now includes two components: a domestic (U.S.) program and an international program. Both programs seek to increase opportunities for scientists from groups under-represented in HIV prevention research. In the domestic program, successful applicants will be Investigators who have received their terminal degree (MD, PhD, etc.). For the international version, current MD, PhD, and MBChB students may apply, along with individuals having already graduated with their terminal degree. In both programs, applicants should desire to work with a mentor scientist in the Network to complete a research project based upon an existing HPTN research study.

The HPTN Scholars Program seeks to provide scholar recipients with the knowledge, skills and connections to further their careers as independent investigators in the HIV prevention research field.

Scholars will:

  1. Develop a research project using data from a completed or ongoing HPTN HIV prevention study and complete their scholarship project within the program cycle
  2. Present the findings of their project at the HPTN Annual Meeting and submit a manuscript at the end of the scholarship cycle
  3. Become knowledgeable of the process of doing research in NIH-funded HIV networks, and have the opportunity to build their research networks within the context of the HPTN

Scholars are provided funding to cover a portion of their time (typically ~ 10-30%) and expenses including travel and research materials/supplies. Successful applicants will be funded for 18 months, subject to certain restrictions.

Community program

Community participation and engagement are critical in the conduct of scientific research. There is mutual benefit to communities and researchers when both parties work together throughout the scientific research process. In the HPTN, community participation occurs throughout the network, community and site levels through various mechanisms that include representation on the Ethics Working Group, the Science Review Committee and protocol teams.

References

  1. ↑ "HIV Study Named 2011 Breakthrough of the Year by Science". niaid.nih.gov. 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.