HIV treatment as prevention and HPTN 052.
OBJECTIVE
This review summarizes the development and implementation of a large clinical trial, HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) 052, whose initial results were recently presented and published.


RESULTS
A randomized, clinical trial demonstrated that antiretroviral therapy reduces the sexual transmission of HIV in HIV-serodiscordant couples by more than 96%. The logistical challenges in preparing for and conducting such a trial were considerable.


CONCLUSIONS
HPTN 052 required many years of preparation, considerable collaboration between National Institute of Health and six pharmaceutical companies, and careful ongoing consideration of a large number of ethical issues. HPTN 052 revealed the magnitude of benefit when using antiretroviral therapy to prevent the transmission of HIV, and served as proof of a concept. The results have proven central to the development of new global HIV-prevention efforts.
Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. myron_cohen@med.unc.edu
Myron S
MS
Cohen
Marybeth
M
McCauley
Theresa R
TR
Gamble
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D012107:Research Design; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012747:Sexual Partners
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors