Reaching 90% HIV Suppression: The Role of POC Viral Load Monitoring in Nigeria

NCT ID: NCT03533868

Last Updated: 2021-04-01

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

543 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2018-04-09

Study Completion Date

2021-02-28

Brief Summary

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The UNAIDS 90-90-90 goals represents an ambitious strategy to end the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic by 2020 \[UNAIDS, 2015\]. While viral load (VL) quantification is the gold standard of HIV treatment monitoring, it is only routinely available and employed in resource-rich countries. The use of an affordable, reliable, point-of-care (POC) VL assay has been considered a "game-changer", where increased access, minimal lab worker training, and same day results could be addressed in a single solution. To date, POC VL assays have been evaluated by their manufacturers with reference panels of samples with some in-country laboratory evaluations. While these are appropriate and critical first steps, it is also important to evaluate the impact of this new technology against the standard of care (SOC) method of VL monitoring in an actual resource-limited setting.

Nigeria has the second highest burden of HIV in the world, with an estimated 3.2 million infected and serves as a relevant setting for testing feasibility and efficacy of POC VL monitoring \[UNAIDS, 2016\]. In order to present the case for implementing the use of POC VL testing across Nigeria, data on the acceptability, feasibility and efficacy of using POC testing for VL monitoring are needed. To address this need, the investigators have designed a randomized controlled trial comparing POC VL to monitoring to the SOC, which follows the Nigerian National Guidelines, to provide operational evidence for implementation of POC VL testing in Nigeria. This trial is aimed at testing the hypothesis that using POC versus SOC VL monitoring in HIV-infected patients newly initiating ART will improve overall ART outcomes, increase ART adherence and program retention rates, and result in faster switches to second-line treatment of patients failing first-line ART.

Detailed Description

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The investigators will conduct an un-blinded randomized implementation trial comparing POC VL monitoring, using the Cepheid Gene Xpert HIV-1 VL®, to SOC VL monitoring, using the Roche AmpliPrep/COBAS Taqman system. The trial will be conducted at two sites in Plateau State, Nigeria.

ART-naïve patients initiating ART will be randomized on a 1:1 basis to the SOC VL monitoring control arm or the POC VL monitoring arm. VL monitoring will occur according to the current Nigerian ART guidelines-recommended algorithm, with the addition of a baseline VL test. For the month 6 and 12 visits, patients that are enrolled in the POC VL monitoring arm will be provided their VL results. Participants in the SOC arm will receive their Roche VL test results after the results become available per SOC protocol. All other aspects of their HIV care and treatment will be identical to services that they would normally receive at these treatment centers.

The investigators will follow all patients up through their Month 12 follow-up visit. At trial exit, the investigators will ask patients, caregivers of patients under the age of 18 years, and providers for their participation in surveys on the operational performance and acceptability of the POC versus SOC VL monitoring. Following that time point, the patients will continue receiving HIV care and treatment utilizing the SOC procedures for the clinic.

Conditions

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HIV/AIDS

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Patients will be randomized to have their viral load monitored by either the standard of care or point-of-care method at their follow-up clinical visits up to 12 months.
Primary Study Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Standard of Care (SOC)

Patients in this arm will have their viral load monitored using the standard of care method, using the Roche Cobas TaqMan HIV-1® v2 (Roche) assay.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Point-of-care (POC)

Patients in this arm will have their follow-up viral loads (after baseline) monitored using a Point-of-care viral load monitoring test, the Cepheid Xpert HIV-1 Viral Load assay.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Point-of-care viral load monitoring test

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

For enumerating viral load for patients in the POC arm, we will use the Cepheid Xpert® HIV-1 Viral Load test, a quantitative assay with a quantification range of 40 to 10,000,000 copies/mL. Based on the GeneXpert® technology, Xpert HIV-1 VL automates the test process, including RNA extraction, purification, reverse transcription and cDNA real-time quantitation in one fully integrated cartridge. The pre-loaded disposable single-use cartridges provide a visual read-out within 90 minutes. The assay requires 1 mL of plasma using a precision pipette (1.2 mL using a transfer pipette).

Interventions

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Point-of-care viral load monitoring test

For enumerating viral load for patients in the POC arm, we will use the Cepheid Xpert® HIV-1 Viral Load test, a quantitative assay with a quantification range of 40 to 10,000,000 copies/mL. Based on the GeneXpert® technology, Xpert HIV-1 VL automates the test process, including RNA extraction, purification, reverse transcription and cDNA real-time quantitation in one fully integrated cartridge. The pre-loaded disposable single-use cartridges provide a visual read-out within 90 minutes. The assay requires 1 mL of plasma using a precision pipette (1.2 mL using a transfer pipette).

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

-All HIV-infected patients newly initiating ART

Exclusion Criteria

* Previous ARV experience
* Pregnant
Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Jos University Teaching Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

FED

Sponsor Role collaborator

Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Phyllis Kanki

Professor of Immunology & Infectious Diseases

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Phyllis Kanki, DVM, DSc

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)

Locations

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Jos University Teaching Hospital

Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria

Site Status

Comprehensive Health Care Centre, Zamko

Zamko, Plateau State, Nigeria

Site Status

Countries

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Nigeria

References

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Fonjungo PN, Boeras DI, Zeh C, Alexander H, Parekh BS, Nkengasong JN. Access and Quality of HIV-Related Point-of-Care Diagnostic Testing in Global Health Programs. Clin Infect Dis. 2016 Feb 1;62(3):369-374. doi: 10.1093/cid/civ866. Epub 2015 Sep 30.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26423384 (View on PubMed)

Fonjungo PN, Osmanov S, Kuritsky J, Ndihokubwayo JB, Bachanas P, Peeling RW, Timperi R, Fine G, Stevens W, Habiyambere V, Nkengasong JN. Ensuring quality: a key consideration in scaling-up HIV-related point-of-care testing programs. AIDS. 2016 May 15;30(8):1317-23. doi: 10.1097/QAD.0000000000001031.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26807969 (View on PubMed)

Chaplin B, Agbaji O, Reyes Nieva H, Olatunde B, Chang C, Mitruka K, Sule H, Dajel T, Zee A, Ahmed ML, Ahmed I, Okonkwo P, Rawizza H, Kanki P. Timeliness of Point-of-Care Viral Load Results Improves Human Immunodeficiency Virus Monitoring in Nigeria. Clin Infect Dis. 2023 Feb 8;76(3):e671-e680. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciac609.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 35872644 (View on PubMed)

Chang C, Agbaji O, Mitruka K, Olatunde B, Sule H, Dajel T, Zee A, Ahmed ML, Ahmed I, Okonkwo P, Chaplin B, Kanki P. Clinical Outcomes in a Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Point-of-Care With Standard Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Viral Load Monitoring in Nigeria. Clin Infect Dis. 2023 Feb 8;76(3):e681-e691. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciac605.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 35867672 (View on PubMed)

Meloni ST, Agbaji O, Chang CA, Agaba P, Imade G, Oguche S, Mukhtar A, Mitruka K, Cox MH, Zee A, Kanki P. The role of point-of-care viral load monitoring in achieving the target of 90% suppression in HIV-infected patients in Nigeria: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. BMC Infect Dis. 2019 May 2;19(1):368. doi: 10.1186/s12879-019-3983-6.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 31046695 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Related Links

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http://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/media_asset/JC2670_UNAIDS_Treatment_Targets_en.pdf

UNAIDS. Ambitious treatment targets: writing the final chapter of the AIDS epidemic. 2015.

http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/147213/1/9789241507905_eng.pdf

WHO. The Availability and Use of HIV Diagnostics: A 2012/2013 WHO Survey in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Geneva. 2014.

http://www.unaids.org/en/regionscountries/countries/nigeria

UNAIDS. Country factsheets: Nigeria, 2016.

http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/documents/s23252en/s23252en.pdf

FMOH Nigeria. National Guidelines for Prevention Treatment and Care. 2016.

Other Identifiers

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CDC-CGH-2018-059

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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