Increased public awareness and use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been tremendously powerful in the global battle against HIV/AIDS. Studies have shown that, when taken as a daily pill, PrEP is 92-99% effective at preventing HIV infections in HIV-negative individuals. However, as with any daily medication, strict adherence is the key to success – and, for many people, this may become a barrier to PrEP’s effectiveness. The Fenway Institute is serving as a site for a new study, HPTN 083, that explores whether injectable, long-acting PrEP, is a viable alternative to oral PrEP. Injectable PrEP has the potential to truly revolutionize HIV prevention. And when you volunteer as a study participant for HPTN 083, you’ll be a leader in that lifesaving revolution.
A global study, HPTN 083 will enroll approximately 4,500 HIV-uninfected cisgender adult men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women who have sex with men in the U.S., Argentina, Brazil, Peru, India, Thailand, Vietnam, and South Africa. Total time of study participation may be up to four and a half years. Throughout the course of the study, participants will receive a series of either injectable PrEP, oral PrEP, or placebos, depending on which study group they are placed in. At the end of their time in the study, participants will be transitioned to locally available HIV prevention services to remain connected to information and care. Participants will also be compensated for their time.
“HPTN 083 is a distinctive and historic study, since it is the first trial to determine whether injectable medication given every eight weeks is as effective in protecting at risk persons from HIV infection as the oral medication that is FDA-approved for this purpose,” said Dr. Kenneth Mayer, Co-Chair and Medical Research Director at The Fenway Institute. “Fenway Health was one of 10 U.S. sites that demonstrated that this approach is safe and well-tolerated, so we are excited to now be part of a multinational study that could establish the efficacy of this approach. If the study is successful, it could provide people who cannot adhere to daily pill regimen with a potentially more convenient means to protect themselves against HIV.”
Want to help shape the future of HIV prevention? The Fenway Institute is now recruiting 18+ year old, HIV uninfected transgender women and MSM. For more information on HPTN 083, please call 617.927.6450 or email [email protected]. Please click here to take an online screener to see if you may be eligible to participate.