AVAC accelerates the development and delivery of STI prevention options by fostering collaborations with STI and HIV research advocates, developing new STI vaccines and diagnostics, and creating tools to monitor STI research and investment activities.
Advocacy to Accelerate Prevention R&D for Sexually Transmitted Infections
AVAC Case for Support
Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit and PrEP in Black America Summit
AVAC Highlights
Last week, 1,000+ community advocates, researchers, policy experts, federal public health leadership, medical and service providers from around the US and Puerto Rico attended the NMAC annual Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit in Seattle, Washington. The discussion and debate on PrEP access, especially for racial and ethnic minorities and key populations, PrEP research, care, policy and community-based programs are ones to follow. AVAC’s John Meade (Senior Program Manager, Policy), Jessica Salzwedel (Senior Program Manager: Research Engagement) and Kenyon Farrow (Communications Director) presented in workshops and satellite sessions at the Summit and at the PrEP in Black America preconference
The Summit included sessions that updated community advocates on the latest in biomedical research for new diagnostics, PrEP, PEP, STIs and vaccines. Meade co-presented a Clinical Trials 101 for community advocates to learn more about the research process. Farrow presented an epidemiological overview on HIV and Disparities in the United States for NMAC’s Gay Men of Color Fellows.
All three AVAC staff contributed to the PrEP in Black America: The State of HIV Prevention Research in the Black Community pre-conference, organized by PrEP in Black America (PIBA). PIBA began in 2022 as a community-led effort to increase Black community mobilization and engagement in PrEP research, policy and access programs. Farrow and Meade are PIBA cofounders, and Meade facilitated the day’s agenda, with more than 200 attendees focused on identifying the research gaps that need to be addressed to increase knowledge, access and use of PrEP. Data shows that while Black people in the U.S. make up 42% of all new HIV diagnoses in 2021, they were only 14% of all PrEP users. By comparison, white Americans are 65% of all PrEP users, but only 26% of all people diagnosed with HIV in the same year.
Salzwedel co-led the closing consensus session at PIBA, a discussion where attendees named research priorities to be later released as part of a National Black-Centered Biomedical HIV Prevention research agenda. One of the most important priorities named, however, goes beyond singling out the right research questions. Attendees showed strong consensus that the research process itself needs to change. Attendees expressed a need and desire for more investment and commitment to community-led research, that can reflect non-traditional ways of gathering data and designing trials and ending the extractive approach that characterizes conventional researcher/community relationships.
To stay up to date with PrEP in Black America, follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
Join AVAC, The Choice Agenda, PrEP4All and HIVMA on Friday, April 26 for a special follow-up webinar, We Can’t End HIV in the United States Without Equitable PrEP Access: Strategies for success. Register here.
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Just What is Discovery Medicine? And What Does it Mean for HIV Vaccine Research?
Participants joined to gain a broad understanding of Discovery Medicine including an overview of the current landscape for HIV vaccines. We also discussed what it means for HIV vaccine research and development moving forward, with a focus on community and advocacy priorities.
Speakers:
- Dr. Betty Mwesigwa, Makerere University Walter Reed Project
- Tian Johnson, BRILLIANT HIV Vaccine Discovery Consortium
- Dr. Cathy Slack, HIV AIDS Vaccines Ethics Group
- Dr. Sandhya Vasan, Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, US Military HIV Research Program
Moderators:
- Stacey Hannah, AVAC
- Louis Shackelford, HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) & COVID-19 Prevention Network (CoVPN)
Recording / Full Slides / Resources
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PrEP and the Role of HIV Self-Testing
HIV self-testing (HIVST) is a safe, accurate, and effective alternative to provider-administered testing that many users prefer for its convenience and confidentiality. At IAS 2023, WHO issued a new recommendation to offer HIVST for PrEP initiation and continuation as an innovative way to increase PrEP access and coverage and further simplify PrEP delivery. However, many implementers still have questions on how to effectively roll out and scale up this important self-care intervention.
On May 23, AVAC and WHO hosted a webinar to learn more about WHO guidance on use of HIVST and to hear directly from a panel of experts on their experiencing rolling out HIVST for PrEP, guidance on procurement and costing, and more.
Recording / Slides
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We Can’t End HIV in the United States Without Equitable PrEP Access: Strategies for success
A collaboration between HIVMA, PrEP4All and The Choice Agenda, this webinar assessed some of the key challenges to delivering PrEP in the United States equitably, including cost, the complexities of our health care system, and other factors that inhibit uptake amongst the most vulnerable communities. Strategies to address these challenges were offered included a Q&A, discussion and much-needed debate.
Speakers:
• Dr. Lorraine Dean, Johns Hopkins University, Department of Epidemiology
• Dr. Rupa Patel, Division of HIV Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Dr. Patrick Sullivan, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University
Moderator:
Dr. Greg Millet, amfAR
Recording / Slides / Resources
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Discussing Early Results from the SEARCH Dynamic Choice Study
AVAC and the SEARCH team were joined by Professor Moses Kamya of Makerere University to find out why the early results of the SEARCH Dynamic Choice study were some of the most exciting to come out of CROI in 2024.
Conducted in Kenya and Uganda, the study offered oral PrEP, PEP or injectable cabotegravir to both men and women, and an option to switch products. Prevention services were person-centered, including access to a clinician by phone at any time, clinic and community access to services, and counseling to develop personalized adherence plans. Coverage among study participants increased to 70% (compared to 13% in the standard of care), 28% of participants used two different products during the study, and the study arm ended with zero incidence of HIV compared to 1.8% in the control group. These numbers show why adding to the method mix expands the number of people who continue with prevention—even as their needs change.
The webinar consisted of a presentation by Professor Kamya, followed by a robust discussion about the role of choice in HIV prevention.
HIV Cure Updates and Opportunities
Last week’s Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Denver, Colorado, was full of new research, provocative discussion and debate on a wide range of issues from longer-acting injectable PrEP; the dapvirine vaginal ring (DVR) in pregnancy; doxycycline as post-exposure prophylaxis (DoxyPEP) to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs); and so much more. Check out our daily summaries of highlights from CROI and recordings and resources from the daily Community Breakfast Club sessions.
It was also the setting for important updates on the HIV reservoir lending to new insights into potential HIV cure strategies. Progress in HIV cure research, as part of a pipeline of biomedical tools to help end the epidemic, must be supported and guided by an advocacy agenda that puts communities first. Read on for cure highlights from CROI, new opportunities for cure advocates, and an upcoming webinar on pediatric cure research with Deborah Persaud and Gabriela Cromhout.
Cure Highlights from CROI – Q&A with AVAC’s Jessica Salzwedel
AVAC’s Jessica Salzwedel who leads our advocacy for HIV cure research and serves as the community engagement coordinator for Research Enterprise to Advance a Cure for HIV (REACH), Immunotherapy for Cure (I4C), and Pediatric Adolescent Virus Elimination (PAVE) shares her highlights from the research presented at CROI and insights into what it means for advocacy in this Q&A.
“Four preclinical and clinical results stood out because they advanced how researchers might tailor cure strategies to optimize the impact for people with HIV. We heard more about the potential role of sex hormones in directing the immune system in a study looking at fetus acquisition of HIV. Another study showed that women may be better candidates for the so-called “block and lock” strategy. We also heard results from the IMPAACT P1115 trial, which showed that early HIV treatment can lead to control of the virus in children. And a nonhuman primate study of adeno-associated virus (AAV), which delivered broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) may offer a pathway to a scalable, durable control option for pediatric cure. In basic science new data suggests that autologous neutralizing antibodies in some people delay rebound. And finally, we heard about rare T-cells that seem to resist killing, which could be important in developing strategies that could lead to durable control and eradication of HIV. ” Read the Q&A to see what it all means.
Join Us for the 2024 Cure Academy
The Advocacy-for-Cure Academy, organized in partnership with the International AIDS Society, awards fellowships to advocates or peer educators to take part in workshops on HIV cure advocacy with international experts. The academy develops fellows’ cure research literacy and reinforces their advocacy and engagement skills in line with recommendations from Research priorities for an HIV cure: International AIDS Society Global Scientific Strategy 2021. Applications are now open. Deadline Monday, 25 March 2024. The next Cure Academy runs June 8 – 10, 2024 in eastern Africa.
And check out what five alumni from the program are doing with their fellowships intended to create solutions that advance HIV cure research in their local context.
Webinar
Updates on Pediatric HIV Cure Research From CROI
Thursday, March 2, 10:00-11:30 am EST
Researchers Deborah Persaud and Gabriele Cromhout join AVAC’s Jessica Salzwedel to discuss the latest from CROI on pediatric cure.
Resources
- 2021 report of Cure Resource Tracking Group: This report showed a remarkable 30 percent increase in funding for cure research.
- Let’s Talk About HIV Cure Research: An Introduction to the science under investigation: This webinar with Marina Caskey and members of the REACH Community Advisory Board reviews the current state of HIV cure research.
- Language guide for cure: This document shares up-to-date, community-preferred terminology within cure research
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The More We Know: Evolving our understanding of PrEP for cisgender women
Science and real-world experience continue to demand a re-assessment of our collective understanding of the safety and effectiveness of PrEP options for women, including oral, vaginal ring, and injectable options. For instance, a new paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association by Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo (HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis with Emtricitabine and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Among Cisgender Women) challenges the notion, baked into policies, programs and “conventional wisdom”, that cisgender women need to be “super-adherers” to achieve protection utilizing oral PrEP. In this webinar, we discussed this important paper and more.
Speakers:
• Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
• Joyce Ng’ang’a, WACI Health
Moderator:
Raniyah Copeland, Equity & Impact Solutions
Materials:
Recording / Ukrainian Audio / Slides / Resources / Audio Transcript (English/Ukrainian)
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STI Awareness Week Webinar Series (April 16 and 18)
Syphilis in the US: The current state of the epidemic and how it’s being addressed
Tuesday, April 16, 1:00PM ET
This webinar examined the current state of the syphilis epidemic in the US and how the National Syphilis and Congenital Syphilis Syndemic Federal Task Force is addressing the response.
Speakers included: Kate Miele and LCDR Neelam Gazarian
This webinar was co-hosted with ASHA (American Sexual Health Association).
DoxyPEP: Prevention, effectiveness, and AMR
Thursday, April 18, 3:00PM ET
This webinar focused on sharing the latest scientific insights on DoxyPEP, its effectiveness in preventing STIs, and considerations around AMR.
Speakers included: Fabian Kong, Annie Luetkemeyer, and Connie Celum
Recording / Fabian Kong Slides / Connie Celum Slides
Sexually Transmitted Infections: What You Should Know About STIs and Testing
Friday, April 26, 10:00AM ET
AVAC and ASHA hosted a webinar to discuss STIs and testing with Chase Cannon, MD, MPH and Stacey Grinder, PhD, MPH.
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MOSAIC Global PrEP Learning Network – Building a Brand for PrEP: Positioning PrEP in the Hearts and Minds of Young People
With choice of PrEP products on the horizon – including oral PrEP, the PrEP ring, and injectable cabotegravir for PrEP (CAB PrEP) – PrEP marketing and demand generation must evolve with the availability of new PrEP products. Young people, in particular, need PrEP demand generation campaigns tailored to their needs and aspirations. In this webinar, we will hear from teams working to change the landscape of PrEP marketing by applying private sector approaches to brand the PrEP category. We will also hear how they are developing fresh, dynamic, and evidence-informed campaigns to increase PrEP awareness and encourage PrEP use among young people in Africa.
This webinar is being hosted by PEPFAR, USAID, and MOSAIC.