June 25, 2015
Next month the IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention will take place from July 19 – 22 in Vancouver, Canada.
Held every two years, this year’s conference will cover the results from several important studies, including a special symposium on the START trial; final results from HPTN 052; and important findings from several PrEP studies and projects. The full conference schedule is available on the IAS 2015 website and AVAC has pulled together a HIV prevention roadmap, sortable by timing, intervention and session type (also available as a PDF). IAS also has a one-pager on biomedical prevention activities at IAS.
In addition, we wanted to be sure to draw your attention to several satellite sessions that AVAC and partners are leading at IAS 2015 that are of particular interest to prevention advocates:
SUNDAY, JULY 19
- Creating Rectal Microbicides People Desire: How do we get there?, 12:30–14:30, Room 121-122
With the recent completion of enrollment into the first-ever Phase II safety and acceptability study of a rectal microbicide (RM) for HIV prevention, many questions remain about future directions for the RM research agenda. Indeed, the opportunities and challenges posed by conducting a Phase 3 RM study are multifaceted. This session will include a panel of scientists, advocates and research participants who will share the latest information on RM science and discuss next steps in the development of RMs to prevent new HIV infections associated with anal sex. - Injectable Options and Preventable Confusion: An updated and interactive discussion on the pipeline of antibodies, long-acting ARVs and vaccines, 14:45–16:45, Room 121-122
As trials of varying “injectable prevention” options are moving ahead in similar populations, countries and trial sites, it is key for policy makers, researchers, regulators and advocates to understand the distinctions between the options. This interactive session will provide overview presentations on the major areas of work (preventive vaccines; long-acting injectable antiretrovirals; and passive immunization strategies with broadly neutralizing antibodies), followed by a panel discussion to explore issues related to trial design, community engagement and ethics. (Coffee and light snacks provided.) - What's Next for HIV Vaccines: From design to efficacy testing, 17:00–19:00, Room 121-122
The HIV research field is rapidly evolving and includes several vaccine strategies for prevention or therapy. This session will explore the latest in vaccine design, development and testing. The goal of this session is to examine the diverse, cross-platform approaches that are currently being vetted for vaccination and other approaches to help end the HIV epidemic.
MONDAY, JULY 20
- Minor Issues, Major Consequences: Ensuring Adolescents’ Access to Proven Prevention Methods, 18:30–20:30, Room 109
If the dapivirine ring is found safe and effective in ASPIRE and The Ring Study and subsequently approved, it would be a triumph for women. Yet, women under 18, who are among those at highest risk, could be left out, absent safety data in adolescents. This session will review ethics, informed consent, law and regulations around adolescents in clinical research, and the urgent need for new HIV prevention options for adolescents.
For those not attending the conference in person, there are a number of ways to follow along at a distance. In addition to AVAC’s online commentary on Twitter and Facebook to can follow the official conference hashtag – #IAS2015.
Official online scientific coverage will be provided by Clinical Care Options and NAM. Sign up to receive email bulletins from NAM.
Stay tuned for additional updates as the conference draws nearer, and we welcome questions and comments at avac@avac.org.