An Advocate’s Guide to Research in Pregnant and Lactating Populations

A resource that provides background on the need for research in pregnant and lactating populations and how advocates can advance inclusion.

Moving a Product to the “Real World”

A visual roadmap illustrating the key stages transitioning a product from clinical trials to large-scale real-world implementation.

This Week at AVAC: US election, new LEN resources, STI pipeline and PrEP service delivery

As we continue to grapple with the results of the US presidential election and what this means for our work and for global health evidence- and rights-based policies and programs generally, we wanted to share a range of new tools and resources you may find helpful in your advocacy for choice, science and rights.

Injectable Lenacapavir for PrEP

Register


Additional LEN Resources

Webinars on the STI Pipeline, Advances in Research Ethics, and Money for the DVR and More!

Register

In Case You Missed It

Recording / Slides / DVR Early Market Access Vehicle page

And stay tuned for a new PxPulse podcast featuring Jen Kates of KFF and AVAC’s Suraj Madoori, The Votes Are In: What’s next for the US’ role in global health and HIV prevention. The podcast hits airways November 14.

Avac Event

Understanding Anal Pleasure and Health for Clinicians, Behavioral Health Specialists, Peers & HIV Workers


Forty years into the epidemic, people are still seeking accurate, reliable information about anal play that isn’t just about HIV and STI prevention. They want to understand how to engage in ways that maximize pleasure and reduce harms beyond infectious disease. Often, they end up encountering harmful myths rather than facts, and then learn by ‘trial and error’.

This 90-minute webinar is appropriate for HIV and STI clinicians, behavioral health workers, social workers, case managers, peers and anyone else with a responsibility for delivering or referring to HIV services like treatment, PrEP, testing and support services.

Participants learned the rationale for why addressing anal pleasure and health is essential in HIV service settings as well as ways to respond to frequently asked questions, including via a new client- and worker-facing website.

Recording I Slides I Resources

Speakers included:

  • Bryan Kutner, PhD, MPH, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
  • Samuel Anyula Gorigo, Hoymas (Health Options for Young Men on HIV/AIDS and STIs) Kenya

PrEP Initiations in Latin America, 2019-2024

Latin American countries account for 306,000 cumulative PrEP initiations in the Global PrEP Tracker as of Q2 2024, which represent 4% of the global total. Since 2019, PrEP initiations across the region continue to increase at a steady rate, with Brazil reaching about 194,000 cumulative PrEP initiations (63% of regional total) since the inception of its National PrEP Program. Read more in PxWire.

Avac Event

True Choice in HIV Prevention Involves More than Product Options: Novel strategies in service delivery

The Choice Agenda and presenters from Brazil, Kenya, and South Africa discussed novel strategies for the delivery of HIV prevention interventions. All HIV prevention products have their “Achilles Heels.” Differentiated service delivery supports reaching a wide range of potential users and can overcome challenges with product attributes. Offering different strategies can also make the interface with health care easier and more community friendly.

Speakers:

  • Ines Dourado, Universidade Federal da Bahia
  • Catherine Verde Hashim, AVAC
  • Catherine Martin, Wits RHI
  • Katrina Ortblad, Fred Hutch
  • Adriano Queiroz, City of São Paulo Municipal Health Secretariat
  • Daniel Were, Jhpiego

Thanks to WHO for providing live simultaneous Ukrainian translation and to PAHO for providing live simultaneous translation in Portuguese and Spanish.

Video Recording and English Audio / Ukrainian Audio / Portuguese Audio / Spanish Audio / Slides / Resources

Avac Event

Update on Injectable Lenacapavir for PrEP

AVAC hosted a webinar focused on updates for the PURPOSE trials for injectable lenacapavir for PrEP. Gilead provided an overview of the PURPOSE 1 and 2 trial results and insight into the status of PURPOSE 3, 4, and 5. This was be an opportunity for civil society to hear from Gilead directly.

Avac Event

An Update on the STI R&D Pipeline and Investments

AVAC and Impact Global Health, previously Policy Cures Research, co-hosted a webinar on the current STI R&D pipeline. This discussion featured leading experts sharing the latest advancements in STI diagnostics and treatments, discussing their potential impact on public health and where investments stand.

Speakers:

  • Mandisa Mdingi, Foundation for Professional Development, South Africa
  • Cécile Ventola, Senior Technical Officer at Impact Global Health
  • Birgitta Gleeson, FIND, Switzerland

Recording / Alison Footman Slides / Mandisa Mdingi Slides / Cécile Ventola Slides / Birgitta Gleeson Slides

Moving a Product to the Real World

The rollout of oral PrEP demonstrates that people don’t take PrEP simply because it’s available—there needs to be a demand for it, and it needs to be accessible, acceptable and used effectively by those who need and want it. These are the lessons the field is applying to the rollout of the dapivirine vaginal ring (DVR), and injectable cabotegravir (CAB) and lenacapavir (LEN) for PrEP. To reach the UNAIDS target of 10 million PrEP users by 2025, initiations of oral PrEP alone will not be enough—and this graphic shows that the field is beginning to apply past lessons to accelerate introduction of injectable PrEP options.

This is an updated version of a graphic excerpted from PxWire.

From Clinical Trial Efficacy to Public Health Impact: A Plan for Accelerating Access to Injectable Lenacapavir for PrEP

This plan provides a broad view of all the moving parts and identifies actions and actors responsible for ensuring time is not wasted and opportunity not squandered.