A graphic showing the duration between discovery of the microbiologic cause of selected infectious diseases and the development of a vaccine.
Excerpted From the Lab to Jab.
Vaccine Development History
PrEP Resources Showcase
This dynamic, workshop-style showcase was the first of a series that featured multimedia presentations that took participants through key PrEP resources including: A toolkit to ensure programs related to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and HIV prevention are well designed to reach and support adolescent girls and young women. Comprehensive databases for tracking PrEP uptake, Implementation research and other critical data by product, country, and population.
Small groups had opportunities to take deep dives into each of the above resources, and explore how they might use these in their work. Additionally, participants provided input on what resources are still needed, collaborate on how to improve and disseminate what exists, and support the development of evidence and networks to advance HIV prevention.
Global PrEP Tracker video / Integrated Study Dashboard video / Breaking the Cycle Toolkit video
Let’s Talk About HIV Cure Research: An introduction to the science under investigation
Dr. Marina Caskey of Rockefeller University and members of the REACH Community Advisory Board hosted a webinar on November 15 to review the current state of HIV cure research. This webinar explored what makes curing HIV so challenging, the strategies being pursued, and what is happening in locally in NYC!
HPTN 096: Building Equity Through Advocacy – An Integrated, Status-Neutral Approach for Ending the Epidemic Among Black Gay Men in the South
November 15, 10:00 to 11:30 AM ET
The Choice Agenda and partners hosted a fascinating discussion about a novel, much-needed HIV prevention research study – HPTN 096 on November 15. Currently in the field, the study addresses social, structural, institutional, and behavioral barriers to HIV prevention and care. Visit the study website here.
Speakers (list in formation):
Prof. LaRon E. Nelson. Yale School of Nursing; HPTN 096 Protocol Co-Chair
Christopher Hucks-Ortiz, HPTN Black Caucus Chair
Dr. Cedric Pulliam, HPTN 096 Community Strategy Group
Abraham Johnson, HPTN 096 Research Advisor
Moderators:
Riko Boone, Treatment Action Group
John Meade, AVAC
Co-sponsored by PrEP in Black America and Federal AIDS Policy Partnership Research Working Group
Inclusion of Pregnant and Lactating People in HIV Research
What you need to know
Produced and hosted by Jeanne Baron
People who are pregnant or lactating (PLP) have historically been excluded from research because of concerns for the developing fetus. But this has led to a dearth of data on new interventions against health threats for this population. In the case of HIV, pregnancy raises the risk of acquiring HIV by up to three times, but providers often do not have the data to know whether a new intervention is safe or how it will work for pregnant patients. As a result, PLP and their physicians are left to make difficult decisions around the use of proven HIV prevention products as they await more data specific to pregnancy and lactation.
But change is in the air. Champions for the inclusion of PLP in research are paving the way for a paradigm shift—one that will redefine this population from needing protection from research to being better protected through research. In this episode of Px Pulse, AVAC’s Manju Chatani-Gada takes us through conversations with a trial participant who became pregnant, researchers, policymakers and donors to understand why this population gets excluded, the impact it has and what to do about it.
Tune it to hear:
- Dr. Anne Drapkin Lyerly, Principal Investigator of the PHASES Project to advance equitable inclusion of pregnant women in HIV research and its follow-on project, PREPARE, focused on ethical HIV research in adolescents who are pregnant.
- Elisia Madende, trial participant in the HPTN 084 trial in Zimbabwe
- Dr. Ashley Lima, Health Science Specialist and Lead Technical Advisor for Socio-behavioral Research — USAID Office of HIV/AIDS Research Division
- Dr. Takunda Sola, HIV Prevention and Key Populations Medical Officer — Zimbabwe MoH AIDS/TB Unit
Links:
Advocacy Resources:
- Report: Advancing HIV Prevention Research in PLP: Think Tank Report & Action Plan
- Advocates’ Guide: An Advocate’s Guide to Research in Pregnant and Lactating Population
- Factsheet: Including Pregnant and Lactating Populations in HIV Prevention Research
- Infographic: Pregnant and Lactating People (PLP) in Ongoing HIV Prevention Trials
- Webinar: More than Vessels: Pregnant people deserve inclusion in HIV prevention research
- Guidance: PHASES Guidance: Ending the evidence gap for pregnant women around HIV & co-infections
- Meeting Report: Call to accelerate the study of new drugs for HIV in pregnant and breastfeeding women
- JIAS Special Issue: ‘Approaches to enhance and accelerate investigation of new HIV drugs in pregnancy’
Frontiers in Reproductive Health: How might we motivate uptake of the Dual Prevention Pill?
Findings from human-centered design research with potential end users, male partners and healthcare providers
AVAC’s Wawira Nyagah and Kate Segal co-authored a comprehensive manuscript on a demand generation approach for the DPP (Dual Prevention Pill) including findings from research with potential users, male partners, and healthcare providers.
Read the abstract below and the full published research article here.
Multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs) combining contraception with HIV prevention offer a promising solution to uptake and adherence challenges faced with oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The Dual Prevention Pill (DPP), which combines oral PrEP with an oral contraceptive pill (OCP), could address unmet need for family planning (FP) and HIV prevention. This study aimed to identify barriers and motivators for DPP uptake to inform the development of a DPP demand generation strategy and broader introduction efforts for MPTs.
Community Manifesto for HIV Long-Acting Injectable PrEP in Europe
This document stems from a March 2023 consensus meeting in Paris involving regional and international HIV prevention organizations and activists. Four main pillars were identified to promote new PrEP technologies and expand access to long-Acting injectable PrEP in Europe. These pillars should be implemented simultaneously and also aim to broaden PrEP accessibility beyond LA-CAB.
Coalition to Accelerate & Support Prevention Research (CASPR)
Project Brief
The Coalition to Accelerate & Support Prevention Research (CASPR) project focuses on developing and sustaining an Africa-centered network dedicated to accelerating biomedical HIV prevention research, and advancing equitable access to proven HIV prevention products.
Phase 1 mRNA HIV Vaccine Trials
A breakdown of current HIV mRNA trials and a primer on the basics of mRNA technology.
DPP Audience & Provider Insights for the DPP Research and Marketing Plan: Phase 1 Research Findings
This report, by M&C Saatchi World Services, AVAC, and partners, highlights learnings from Human-Centered Design Research undertaken in 2022 to understand the values and motivations of potential users and influencers of the Dual Prevention Pill (DPP) in Kenya, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.