Overview:
The results will determine if the drug has the “safety and effectiveness” to be submitted for FDA approval.
An HIV prevention study aims to give Memphis and Shelby County residents more options when seeking treatment.
Residents as young as 16 can enroll in a study taking place at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. The study examines a “once-monthly oral Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)” medicine.
PrEP is used to lower the chance of being infected with HIV and can be taken in different forms.
Dr. Aditya Gaur, director of clinical research and infectious diseases at St. Jude, said this is a large trial available in cities around the world. The results will determine if the drug has the “safety and effectiveness” to be submitted for FDA approval.
Gaur said it’s important to have several demographics present in the trial, encompassing different areas of the region, race, and especially youth.
“These trials are [for ages] 16 and older,” Gaur said. “You do not delay promising therapy coming to this age. You don’t want to make therapy without the contributions of the age group you want to serve.”
Data from the Tennessee Department of Health showed that the rate of people aged 15 to 24 being infected by HIV in Shelby County increased by 50 percent from 2022 to 2023. Researchers noted that Memphis has a consistently high ranking for new HIV cases in the United States.
Gaur said many considerations affect how certain conditions prevail in parts of the country.
One of the factors that contributes to Memphis’ prevalence is poverty, which trickles down to healthcare access.
“There are so many sociodemographic variables, and the disparities that occur make conditions like HIV [prevail in Memphis],” Gaur said.
While these inequities contribute to increased incidences, Gaur noted it’s not “Memphis versus the rest of the country.”
“Within Memphis, there are islands of where something is more versus others,” Gaur said. “All go towards disparities of care embedded in social and other determinants of health.”
The past few years have been “exciting” in terms of HIV care and prevention research, as Gaur said new drug developments have given patients more choices when looking for care.
“[If] we could make it available all over the world, we could potentially end the HIV epidemic,” Gaur said. “We have the tools, and now it is about more choices for the people who need it.”
He said treatment previously required “many pills, many times a day.” Through drug development, researchers were able to find once-a-day treatment options.
Researchers are now looking into injectables, which Gaur said can be given once every two months. They are also exploring an option that would be injected once every six months.
Gaur called this a current era of “long-acting medications.” The doctor emphasized the importance of having options when taking medicine, as no one medication is a fit for everyone.
Guar said they’re in constant partnership with community organizations to create awareness about options for HIV treatment and prevention. Even for patients who test negative for HIV, partners and officials are still educating them on the newest preventive care.
Those interested in seeing if they qualify for the trial can do so here.
