Next-PrEP clinical trial launches in U.S. cities

Next-PreP study is currently enrolling

Despite our best efforts to prevent new infections, more than 50,000 people in the U.S. are infected with HIV every year as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We know that young ( aged 21-35) gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men are becoming infected more than anyone else. This is especially true among young men of color. While condoms are effective in preventing HIV, we know that people don’t always use them. For that reason we are trying to find new ways to prevent HIV. Next-PrEP is a study using three drugs to prevent HIV in HIV negative people; this is known as pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP. The idea behind PrEP is that if an HIV-negative person takes certain pills on a regular schedule before they are exposed to HIV through sex, they may be protected from getting HIV infection.

We know that two of the drugs that will be used in this study are safe for people who are HIV positive. However, we want to see if they are just as safe and easy to tolerate in people who are HIV negative. This will be the first study to see if the drug maraviroc is also safe and tolerable when used by HIV-negative people as an HIV prevention strategy. We will test four different combinations of medications.

NEXT-PrEP is currently enrolling a total of 400 men and transgender women aged 18 and older who have sex with men from 13 cities in the United States and Puerto Rico. In early 2013, the study will begin to enroll a total of 200 women and transgender men aged 18 and older who have sex with men.

This research project is funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health through the HIV Prevention Trials Network and the AIDS Clinical Trials Group.