National Institute of Health study supports
BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS' findings that HAART significantly reduces transmission and spread of HIV
Vancouver, BC (May 13, 2011) - The National Institute of Health's, National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases (NIAID) announced today the results of a landmark international study evaluating the impact of highly active
antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on the transmission of HIV within sero-discordant heterosexual couples. The study was led by
Dr Myron Cohen and conducted by the NIH sponsored HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN), and is known as the HPTN 052 protocol.
The results of HPTN 052 confirmed that the use of HAART decreased HIV transmission by over 90%. Additionally, the study
showed that earlier initiation of HAART was associated with a greater than 40% reduction in the rate of disease progression.
"This US study highlights the effectiveness of the made-in-B.C. solution in reducing the transmission
and spread of HIV/AIDS through treatment." said Michael de Jong, B.C. Minister of Health. "These results may assist
other jurisdictions in the world to consider adopting this treatment as a prevention model to stop HIV disease progression and to
prevent HIV transmission."
The findings of HPTN 052 confirm those previously reported by the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE).
In 2009, BC-CfE investigators reported a greater than 90% reduction in HIV incidence among injection drug users in the Downtown East Side
of Vancouver as a direct result of the introduction of HAART in that community. More recently, on July 18, 2010, the BC-CfE published
in the Lancet, a long-term study demonstrating a greater than 60% reduction in HIV new diagnoses in the province of
British Columbia, as a result of the introduction of HAART in 1996 and a subsequent expansion of HAART coverage starting in 2003.
Data resulting from BC-CfE research shows that the number of individuals actively receiving HAART has a strong
impact on overall viral load and new diagnoses in the community. As HAART coverage increased, new HIV diagnoses decreased, as HAART
coverage stabilized, so too did viral load and new HIV diagnoses. These results have been instrumental in the crafting of the
new UNAIDS Treatment 2.0 initiative announced by Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS, as a central pillar of
the Global strategy to control HIV/AIDS.
"The BC-CfE celebrates the successful completion of this important study that definitively confirms the
secondary preventive value of HAART, as it not only decreases HIV disease progression, it also dramatically decreases HIV
transmission," said Dr. Julio Montaner, BC-CfE director. "These results clearly support continued efforts to
expand HIV testing and treatment initiatives to curb the impact of HIV/AIDS as pioneered by the BC-CfE, and
currently being adopted in San Francisco, New York, and Washington, DC in the USA and in China."
HAART treatment plays an important role in the health of people living with HIV, preventing HIV transmission
and maximizing public health resources. Recognized as the gold standard treatment for HIV, HAART uses a combination of drugs to stop HIV
from progressing to AIDS, extending life expectancy, and significantly reducing HIV-related deaths in diagnosed individuals.
Based on HAART's effectiveness and ongoing research at the BC-CfE, the government of B.C. is investing in
improving access to HAART. In February 2010, the B.C. government announced a $48 million investment over four years to support a pilot
project to enhance outreach to dramatically expand HIV testing and treatment for hard-to-reach, HIV-infected individuals. The pilot
project is being led by the BC-CfE, and evaluated as part of the BC-CfE's innovative Seek and Treat for the Optimal Prevention of
HIV/AIDS (STOP HIV/AIDS) research program.
The complete text of the NIAID study can be found here: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/news/newsreleases/2011/Pages/HPTN052.aspx
###
About the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS:
The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) is Canada's largest HIV/AIDS research, treatment and education facility. Located in Vancouver, Canada, the BC-CfE is dedicated to improving the health of British Columbians with HIV through the development, monitoring and dissemination of comprehensive research and treatment programs for HIV and related diseases. The Seek and Treat for Optimal Prevention of HIV/AIDS (STOP HIV/AIDS) pilot project launched in February 2010 as a four-year initiative to improve access to HIV testing, treatment, and support services in British Columbia. A $48-million commitment by the B.C. government, a $2.5-million Avant-Garde award from the U.S. NATIONAL INSTITUTE on Drug Abuse (NIDA) support the pilot project, also grant funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and industry contributions by Gilead, Merck, and ViiV.
###
For additional information or to request an interview, please contact:
Mahafrine Petigara
Edelman (for BC-CfE)
604-623-3007 ext. 297
mahafrine.petigara@edelman.com
"Reproduced with permission - BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) "
BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE)
|
