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Dubé K, Perez-Brumer A, Patel H, Zhou C, Dee L, Graham G, Meanley S, Philbin MM. "This Is Actually a Really Unique Moment in Time": Navigating Long-Acting HIV Treatment and HIV Cure Research with Analytical Treatment Interruptions-A Qualitative Interview Study in the United States. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 2024; 40:455-463. [PMID: 38386494 PMCID: PMC11386995 DOI: 10.1089/aid.2023.0105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Advancements in long-acting (LA) HIV treatment and cure research with analytical treatment interruptions (ATIs) have generated important scientific and implementation questions. There is an urgent need to examine challenges navigating the evolving HIV treatment and cure research landscape. From August to October 2022, we conducted 26 semistructured interviews with biomedical researchers and community members representing a predominantly woman demographic to explore the complexity of navigating the rapidly evolving HIV therapeutic and HIV cure research landscape. We purposively sampled individuals recruited from the AIDS Clinical Trials Group and the Martin Delaney Collaboratories for HIV Cure Research. Audio files were transcribed verbatim and analyzed through a thematic approach, using an inductive and iterative process. Among 26 participants, 10 were biomedical researchers and 16 community members, including 11 were people with HIV. Three main themes emerged: (1) We are at a pivotal moment in the evolving landscape of HIV therapeutics and LA HIV treatment and HIV cure research should not be siloed but considered together; (2) There are challenges with engagement in HIV cure research and in switching between oral daily antiretroviral treatment and LA formulations and, mainly, the prolonged pharmacokinetic tail of these compounds matched with limited patient education about their impacts; and (3) There are unique opportunities as a result of this evolving therapeutic landscape, including the key role of decision support for people with HIV, centering around patient autonomy, and the need to learn from the lived experiences of people with HIV who choose LA treatment and/or participation in HIV cure research. Despite a bias toward the woman gender, our study identifies key considerations for navigating concurrent LA HIV treatment and HIV cure research with ATIs from both community members and biomedical researchers' perspectives. Achieving optimal HIV control remains a formidable challenge, necessitating robust interdisciplinary collaborations and engagement with key stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Dubé
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Amaya Perez-Brumer
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hursch Patel
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Carina Zhou
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Lynda Dee
- AIDS Action Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Gail Graham
- PATIENTS Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Steven Meanley
- Department of Family and Community Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Morgan Mari Philbin
- Division of Vulnerable Populations, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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Noorman MAJ, de Wit JBF, Marcos TA, Stutterheim SE, Jonas KJ, den Daas C. Engagement of HIV-negative MSM and partners of people with HIV in HIV cure (research): exploring the influence of perceived severity, susceptibility, benefits, and concerns. AIDS Care 2024; 36:211-222. [PMID: 38319908 DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2024.2307381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
As the prospect of an HIV cure is gaining prominence, engaging key populations affected by an HIV cure becomes essential. This study examined the engagement of HIV-negative men who have sex with men (MSM) and/or partners of people with HIV (PHIV) in the Netherlands. Interviews were conducted with 19 MSM not in relationships with a partner with HIV and 16 partners of PHIV and were thematically analyzed. Perspectives on the importance of an HIV cure were shaped by the perceived severity of HIV and the level of susceptibility to the virus. Despite concerns about potential new HIV infections and treatment intensity, most participants believed that an HIV cure could reduce HIV burden. Both HIV eradication and HIV suppression were regarded as acceptable outcomes. Engagement was demonstrated through actions like accessing information, participating in research, and showing support for partners or community members involved in HIV cure research. In conclusion, we found that most participants were engaged due to their heightened perception of HIV's severity. However, this engagement tended to remain passive due to their perceived low susceptibility to HIV, resulting in a scenario where the perceived importance of an HIV cure is high, while personal relevance remains low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maaike A J Noorman
- Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - John B F de Wit
- Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Tamika A Marcos
- Department of Work and Social Psychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Sarah E Stutterheim
- Department of Health Promotion and Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Kai J Jonas
- Department of Work and Social Psychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Chantal den Daas
- Department of Health Promotion and Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Health Psychology Group, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
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Dubé K, Ndukwe SO, Korolkova A, Dee L, Sugarman J, Sauceda JA. Participant experiences in a combination HIV cure-related trial with extended analytical treatment interruption in San Francisco, United States. HIV Res Clin Pract 2024; 25:2312318. [PMID: 38348830 PMCID: PMC10951555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is limited systematic information available about the perspectives of participants enrolled in intensive combination HIV cure-related trials inclusive of an extended analytical treatment interruption (ATI). OBJECTIVE To assess and understand experiences of people with HIV involved in a combination HIV cure-related trial with an extended ATI. METHODS The trial included five interventions and was followed by an ATI lasting up to 52 wk. From 2022 - 2023, we conducted in-depth interviews with study participants following their extended ATIs. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed via conventional thematic analysis. RESULTS We interviewed seven participants. The majority were male, White, and non-Hispanic, with a median age of 37 years. Trust in the research team, scientific altruism and hope of becoming a post-intervention controller were key motivators for joining the trial. Interviewees reported being satisfied with their decision to participate in the trial and the extended ATI. Most recounted feelings of worry related to viral rebound during the ATI. Participants reported both defeat and relief with ART restart. Four faced challenges with protecting partners from HIV during their ATI, such as trying to find out if their partner(s) were using pre-exposure prophylaxis. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate potential improvements for future ATI trial participant experiences, such as more robust resources for psychosocial support and partner protections. Dedicating greater effort to understanding participant ATI experiences can inform the design of future participant-centered HIV cure trial protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Dubé
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health
(IDGPH), Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La
Jolla, CA, USA
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Samuel O. Ndukwe
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health
(IDGPH), Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La
Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ana Korolkova
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health
(IDGPH), Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La
Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Lynda Dee
- AIDS Action Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Delaney AIDS Research Enterprise (DARE) Community
Engagement Coordinator, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jeremy Sugarman
- Johns Hopkins Berman Institute for Bioethics, Baltimore,
MD, USA
| | - John A. Sauceda
- Division of Prevention Science, Center for AIDS Prevention
Studies (CAPS), San Francisco, CA, USA
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Noorman MAJ, de Wit JBF, Marcos TA, Stutterheim SE, Jonas KJ, den Daas C. The Importance of Social Engagement in the Development of an HIV Cure: A Systematic Review of Stakeholder Perspectives. AIDS Behav 2023; 27:3789-3812. [PMID: 37329470 PMCID: PMC10589186 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-023-04095-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
As research into the development of an HIV cure gains prominence, assessing the perspectives of stakeholders becomes imperative. It empowers stakeholders to determine priorities and influence research processes. We conducted a systematic review of the empirical literature on stakeholder perspectives. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched for empirical, peer-reviewed articles, published before September 2022. Our analysis of 78 papers showed that stakeholders could be divided into three categories: people with HIV, key populations, and professionals. Following thematic synthesis, two main themes were distinguished: stakeholders' perspectives on HIV cure research and stakeholders' perspectives on HIV cure. Research on perspectives on HIV cure research showed that stakeholders' hypothetical willingness to participate (WTP) in HIV cure research was relatively high, while actual WTP was found to be lower. Studies also identified associated (individual) characteristics of hypothetical WTP, as well as facilitators and barriers to hypothetical participation. Additionally, we reported research on experiences of actual HIV cure research participation. Our analysis of stakeholder perceptions of HIV cure showed that most stakeholders preferred a cure that could eliminate HIV and outlined positive associated impacts. Furthermore, we observed that most included studies were conducted among PWHIV, and in the Global North. To empower stakeholders, we recommend that future research include an even greater diversity of stakeholders and incorporate theories of behavior to further explore how stakeholders decide to meaningfully engage in every stage of HIV cure research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maaike A J Noorman
- Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science, Utrecht University, PO Box 80140, 3508 TC, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - John B F de Wit
- Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science, Utrecht University, PO Box 80140, 3508 TC, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Tamika A Marcos
- Department of Work and Social Psychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Sarah E Stutterheim
- Department of Health Promotion and Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Kai J Jonas
- Department of Work and Social Psychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Chantal den Daas
- Institute of Applied Health Sciences, Health Psychology Group, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
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Dubé K, Morton T, Fox L, Dee L, Palm D, Villa TJ, Freshwater W, Taylor J, Graham G, Carter WB, Sauceda JA, Peluso MJ, Rid A. A partner protection package for HIV cure-related trials involving analytical treatment interruptions. THE LANCET. INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2023; 23:e418-e430. [PMID: 37295453 PMCID: PMC10543569 DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(23)00267-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Analytical treatment interruptions (ATIs) have become a key methodological approach to evaluate the effects of experimental HIV cure-related research interventions. During ATIs, sex partners of trial participants might be at risk of acquiring HIV. This risk raises both ethical and feasibility concerns about ATI trials. We propose a partner protection package (P3) approach to address these concerns. A P3 approach would provide guidance to investigators, sponsors, and those who are designing and implementing context-specific partner protections in HIV cure-related trials involving ATIs. The approach would also help assure institutional review boards, trial participants, and communities that ATI trials with a P3 would provide appropriate partner protections. We offer a prototype P3 framework that delineates three basic considerations for protecting participants' sex partners during ATI trials: (1) ensuring the scientific and social value of the ATI and the trial, (2) reducing the likelihood of unintended HIV transmission, and (3) ensuring prompt management of any acquired HIV infection. We outline possible ways of implementing these basic considerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Dubé
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA; University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Tia Morton
- Division of AIDS, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Lawrence Fox
- Division of AIDS, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Lynda Dee
- Delaney AIDS Research Enterprise Community Engagement and Community Advisory Board University of California San Francisco, Department of Medicine, HIV, ID and Global Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA; AIDS Action Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - David Palm
- AIDS Clinical Trials Group Global Community Advisory Board, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Institute of Global Health and Infectious Diseases Clinical Trials Unit, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Thomas J Villa
- HIV Obstruction by Programmed Epigenetics Delaney Collaboratory Community Advisory Board, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA; National HIV & Aging Advocacy Network, National Minority AIDS Council, Washington, DC, USA; Reversing Immune Dysfunction HIV Delaney Collaboratory Community Advisory Board, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA; Rockville, MD, USA
| | | | - Jeff Taylor
- Delaney AIDS Research Enterprise Community Engagement and Community Advisory Board University of California San Francisco, Department of Medicine, HIV, ID and Global Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA; Reversing Immune Dysfunction HIV Delaney Collaboratory Community Advisory Board, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA; Palm Springs, CA, USA; HIV + Aging Research Project, Palm Springs, CA, USA
| | | | - William B Carter
- Baltimore, MD, USA; BEAT-HIV Collaboratory Delaney Community Advisory Board, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - John A Sauceda
- Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, Division of Prevention Sciences, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Michael J Peluso
- Department of Medicine, Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Annette Rid
- Department of Bioethics, NIH Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Lamptey H, Newcomb B, Bonney EY, Aboagye JO, Puplampu P, Ganu VJ, Ansa G, Oliver-Commey J, Kyei GB. Healthcare Provider Perspectives on HIV Cure Research in Ghana. AIDS Res Treat 2023; 2023:8158439. [PMID: 37292229 PMCID: PMC10247315 DOI: 10.1155/2023/8158439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has reduced mortality and improved life expectancy among HIV patients but does not provide a cure. Patients must remain on lifelong medications and deal with drug resistance and side effects. This underscores the need for HIV cure research. However, participation in HIV cure research has risks without guaranteed benefits. We determined what HIV healthcare providers know about HIV cure research trials, the risks involved, and what kind of cure interventions they are likely to recommend for their patients. Methods We conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with 39 HIV care providers consisting of 12 physicians, 8 counsellors, 14 nurses, 2 pharmacists, 2 laboratory scientists, and 1 community advocate from three hospitals. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded, and thematic analysis was performed independently by two investigators. Results Participants were happy about the success of current treatments and hopeful that an HIV cure will be found in the near future, just as ART was discovered through research. They described cure as total eradication of the virus from the body and inability to test positive for HIV or transmit the virus. In terms of risk tolerance, respondents would recommend to their patients' studies with mild to moderate risks like what patients on antiretroviral therapy experience. Participants were reluctant to recommend treatment interruption to patients as part of a cure study and wished trials could be performed without stopping treatment. Healthcare providers categorically rejected death or permanent disability as an acceptable risk. The possibility of finding a cure that will benefit the individual or future generations was strong motivations for providers to recommend cure trials to their patients, as was transparency and adequate information on proposed trials. Overall, the participants were not actively seeking knowledge on cure research and lacked information on the various cure modalities under investigation. Conclusion While hopeful for an HIV cure, healthcare providers in Ghana expect a cure to be definitive and pose minimal risk to their patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Lamptey
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Benjamin Newcomb
- Departments of Medicine and Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Evelyn Y. Bonney
- Department of Virology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - James O. Aboagye
- Department of Virology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Peter Puplampu
- Department of Medicine, University of Ghana Medical School, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Vincent J. Ganu
- Department of Medicine, University of Ghana Medical School, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Gloria Ansa
- Department of Public Health, University of Ghana Hospital, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - George B. Kyei
- Departments of Medicine and Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Virology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Medical and Scientific Research Center, University of Ghana Medical Centre, Accra, Ghana
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Bonney EY, Lamptey H, Kyei GB. HIV cure: an acceptability scientific agenda. Curr Opin HIV AIDS 2023; 18:12-17. [PMID: 36503877 PMCID: PMC9757853 DOI: 10.1097/coh.0000000000000771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Recent years have seen major investments into HIV cure research, seeking a permanent cure or remission. The purpose of this review is to consider how this important research agenda could be broadened to include issues of acceptability and appropriateness for different populations. RECENT FINDINGS We discuss how the definitions of cure such as functional cure (remission) or complete cure (viral elimination) could be interpreted differently by various populations. We also discuss the different methods of cure and the importance of including Africa in cure research to ensure that emerging remedies could be trialled and utilized on the continent that bears the brunt of the AIDS pandemic. SUMMARY We propose that the social science research of HIV cure acceptability should be done concurrently with the basic and clinical sciences, to ensure that cure methods consider stakeholder preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn Y. Bonney
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Helena Lamptey
- Departments of Medicine and Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - George B. Kyei
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
- Departments of Medicine and Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, Missouri, USA
- Medical and Scientific Research Center, University of Ghana Medical Center, Accra, Ghana
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