Demanding Clarity on PrEP: Understanding recent data on oral PrEP

This webinar featured Jean-Michel Molina of the French research agency ANRS and Sheena McCormack of the UK Medical Research Council discussing the data from the IPERGAY and PROUD studies, respectively. Both trials evaluated oral TDF/FTC (brand name Truvada) as PrEP in gay men and other men who have sex with men, and both reported high levels of protection against HIV acquisition. PROUD prescribed a daily pill regimen; IPERGAY asked trial participants to follow an “event driven” regimen that involved a sequence of doses before and after sex. IPERGAY participants took an average of four doses per week—comparable to the estimated protective dose required in trials of daily oral PrEP.

Oral Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis – Putting a new choice in context

The World Health Organization (WHO) released updated guidance in late 2015 on oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), containing tenofovir (TDF), as an additional HIV prevention choice. The new guidance is significantly broader than previously and creates real opportunities to move forward with implementing PrEP as part of comprehensive HIV programmes.

This publication, produced collaboratively between UNAIDS, WHO and AVAC, is intended to complement WHO recommendations and support the optimal use of oral PrEP to protect individuals and contribute to ending the AIDS epidemic.

Planned, Ongoing and Completed PrEP Evaluation studies (July 2015)

This graphic, appearing in AVAC Report 2014/15: HIV Prevention on the Line, shows the planned, ongoing and completed PrEP evaluation studies as of July 2015.

HIV Prevention Research & Development Funding Trends, 2000-2014: Investing in innovation in an evolving global health and development landscape

This annual accounting of funding for biomedical HIV prevention research tracks trends and identifies gaps in investment. In 2014, the reported funding for HIV prevention R&D decreased by US$10 million from the previous year to a total of US$1.25 billion. While investments toward research in preventive vaccines, PrEP, female condoms and prevention of vertical transmission increased in 2014, investments towards microbicides, treatment as prevention and medical male circumcision decreased.

Overall funding has remained at nearly the same level for approximately a decade. As in past years, the public sector made up the majority of total funding at US$990 million (79 percent), with the US public sector contributing US$868 million (69 percent). European public-sector funding made up US$69 million (five percent), public-sector investment from other countries made up US$52 million (four percent), philanthropic investment was US$200 million (16 percent) and investment from the commercial sector was US$63 million (five percent).

A one-page summary document is also available.

HIV Prevention Research & Development Funding Trends, 2000-2014: Investing in innovation in an evolving global health and development landscape (1-pager)

This annual accounting of funding for biomedical HIV prevention research tracks trends and identifies gaps in investment. In 2014, the reported funding for HIV prevention R&D decreased by US$10 million from the previous year to a total of US$1.25 billion. While investments toward research in preventive vaccines, PrEP, female condoms and prevention of vertical transmission increased in 2014, investments towards microbicides, treatment as prevention and medical male circumcision decreased.

Overall funding has remained at nearly the same level for approximately a decade. As in past years, the public sector made up the majority of total funding at US$990 million (79 percent), with the US public sector contributing US$868 million (69 percent). European public-sector funding made up US$69 million (five percent), public-sector investment from other countries made up US$52 million (four percent), philanthropic investment was US$200 million (16 percent) and investment from the commercial sector was US$63 million (five percent).

Px Wire July-September 2015, Vol. 8, No. 3

Px Wire is AVAC’s quarterly update covering the latest in the field of biomedical HIV prevention research, implementation and advocacy.

In this issue, we describe the calls to expand ART access to all who need it, which have been amplified over the two months since the results of the START trial. We also document a growing demand for PrEP and the need for updated guidance from the WHO and targets from UNAIDS. And we look at the increasing role civil society is playing at developing PEPFAR Country Operating Plans (COPs) which guide targets, geography, interventions and budget levels on an annual basis.

In our centerspread, we look backwards and forward, at the conferences that took place in Vancouver and Durban in 1996 and 2000 and will again this year and the next.

This issue is also available as a webpage.

Vaccine Research: An overview

This graphic shows the big picture of AIDS vaccine concepts and clinical trials in process and on the horizon. It is an internationally simplified representation of a complex field. Some approaches are not listed, and related arenas like and cure research are omitted.

Additional Vaccine Approaches

A range of vaccine approaches are being tested in early phase clinical trials. This table provides highlights of this area of vaccine research.

Neutralizing Antibodies

This graphic explains on how neutralizing antibodies work, provides research background and gives an advocates’ checklist for what to look for going forward.

Vaccine Research Developing Programs

This graphic provides a state of the field on vaccine research development programs, giving details on the Pox-Protein Public-Private Partnership trials testing canarypox-protein based vaccine candidates and the Jannssen development program of Ad26 vector + Mosaic immunogen vaccine strategy.