Posted on November 30, 2020
"The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, today announced the clinical investigators and institutions that will lead four NIH HIV clinical trials networks over the next seven years to conduct the innovative, efficient clinical research needed to accelerate progress against the HIV pandemic. NIAID also awarded grants to 35 U.S. and international institutions selected as HIV clinical trials units (CTUs). NIAID and co-funding NIH Institutes intend to provide approximately $375.3 million in the first year to support the networks."
“'Achieving a durable end to the HIV pandemic will require continued development of new HIV prevention and treatment strategies, as well as optimal implementation of existing tools,” said NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. “The new network structure will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of NIH’s HIV clinical trial operations to expediently address the critical research questions that will bring us closer to this goal, while always ensuring the safety of clinical trial participants.'”
"The process of refining the NIH HIV clinical trials networks began in 2017 and involved extensive consultations with researchers, clinicians, advocates, people with or at risk of HIV, and other stakeholders. The new, streamlined network structure will reduce administrative and oversight costs, allowing more funds to be allocated to clinical trials to advance four key areas of research emphasis: HIV prevention; HIV vaccines; HIV/AIDS adult therapeutics; and HIV/AIDS maternal, adolescent and pediatric therapeutics. The networks also have the flexibility to leverage their infrastructure to rapidly respond to emerging infectious diseases, such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)."
