HANC Newsletter | April 2024
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The Office of HIV/AIDS Network Coordination (HANC) is located at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, WA. We acknowledge the Coast Salish peoples of this land, the land which touches the shared waters of all tribes and bands within the Duwamish, Puyallup, Suquamish, Tulalip and Muckleshoot nations.
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Elevate with HANC to the Summit: Join Our Presentation and Workshop at This Month's Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit in Seattle
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The eighth annual Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit is coming to Seattle, Washington, April 19 – 20, 2024. The Summit’s continuing focus has been on the implementation of biomedical tools in our prevention and treatment efforts to ultimately end the HIV epidemic in communities.
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This year’s meeting will be centered on research, science and data and the need to bring science back to the community in a way that can be easily understood. One of the goals of the Summit is to highlight PrEP campaigns across the country. View the agenda here
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On Friday, April 19, Russell Campbell, HANC Director, will present at the opening plenary session titled The Science Factory, Part 1: Knowledge and Understanding
. This plenary will provide an overview of the OAR NIH HIV Research Program (The Factory), the current state of HIV science (The Knowledge), the progress made to date, and the impact of evidence-based strategies on PLWHA lives (The Understanding).
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Then, join us on Friday afternoon, April 19, for the Clinical Trials 101 Workshop led by Brian Minalga, Deputy Director of HANC. The
Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit, you'll hear a lot about HIV prevention modalities like oral PrEP, injectables, and U equals U. But how do we know that these drugs and strategies work to prevent HIV? How do we know that they're safe to use? The answer is clinical trials. Clinical trials are scientific research studies that tests drugs and interventions in people who voluntarily join these studies. These studies are carefully designed to make sure that the interventions being tested are safe and that they work—all while prioritizing the health and safety of the volunteers in the studies. Clinical trials are not made by scientists alone—they require input from everyday members of the community. This session is for folks who are new to the world of clinical trials and want to learn more about the science of HIV prevention.
Additionally, keep an eye out for other HANC staff members Gabriella Olague, Cat Banobi, and Murph Fuentes, who will be actively participating throughout the Summit and Pre-Summit.
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Evidence to Practice Unveils New Logo, Expands HIV/AIDS Education to HBCUs with Upcoming Events
After many iterations and review by the entire Evidence to Practice (E2P) team, comprised of Dr. Lance Okeke, Dr. Kenric Ware, and HANC Director Russell Campbell, Murph Fuentes from HANC put the finishing touches on a newly minted logo, symbolizing the powerhouse team's dedication to bringing HIV/AIDS science to students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The team is set to visit North Carolina A&T and Livingstone Colleges in April, followed by Texas Southern University this summer. Stay tuned as E2P partners with FHI 360 to make it's debut in the social media sphere!
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Explore our Latest HANC Webinars: Introduction to TB Vaccines and Barriers to HIV Care and Prevention for Women in the U.S.
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Introduction to TB Vaccines:
The Office of HIV/AIDS Network Coordination teamed up with the Tuberculosis Trials Consortium Community Research Advisors Group for a discussion with Mike Frick, one of the co-directors of the tuberculosis (TB) program at Treatment Action Group (TAG).
Learn how to access new TB community engagement resources by watching the webinar here.
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Barriers to HIV Care & Prevention for Women in the U.S.:
The Office of HIV/AIDS Network Coordination’s Women’s HIV Research Collaborative (WHRC) invites you to watch in an informative discussion on how different social and structural barriers impact women’s access to HIV care.
Learn about these barriers and how to address them by watching the webinar here.
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Join HANC in Observing National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day on April 10
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National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day (NYHAAD) is observed each year on April 10 to educate the public about the impact of HIV on young people. It is a day to educate and urge policymakers and the public regarding the impact of HIV and AIDS on young people.
Learn more about NYHAAD and how to participate in a series of NYHAAD events and activities.
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ACTG Unveils Broad Research Advancements at CROI 2024
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Above: Joseph Eron and Babafemi Taiwo at CROI 2024. Photo by Roger Pebody
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HVTN Highlights Role at Upcoming Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit
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The HVTN would like to highlight its presence at the Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit. Please see below for details:
+ Presentation “Prevention in the Future with Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies” / "Prevención en el Futuro con Anticuerpos Ampliamente Neutralizantes" by Rafael Gonzales and Patricia Segura.
+ "Basic Science 101: An Introduction to Laboratory Research, and How It Guides Scientific Progress Against HIV." The session is moderated by Gail Broder and Larry Corey will present “How Basic Science Is Informing HIV Vaccine Development” during the session.
+ Prep in Black America Pre-Conference Summit: Michele Andrasik, planning committee and Seattle site staff involved
+ Social and Behavioral Science track facilitated by Michele Andrasik
+ Conference local host committee co-chaired by Rafael Gonzales
+ Booth in Exhibit Hall: People are encouraged to stop by and say hello!
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HVTN Full Group Meeting: Join In-Person or Virtually from May 1-3, 2024
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Preparations are currently in progress for the upcoming HVTN Full Group Meeting scheduled for May 1st-3rd at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington D.C. We are excited to announce that virtual options will again be available for remote participation in the FGM.
Whether you plan to attend in person or virtually, we kindly request you to register at the following link: https://helpendhiv.wufoo.com/forms/s1uz9zzy1e77hv2/. Registration closes April 19, 2024. Active participation is crucial to the success of this event! We look forward to your involvement in making this meeting a valuable and collaborative experience.
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HPTN 096 Team to Showcase Community-Informed Integrated Strategy for Black MSM with Workshop and Exhibit at Biomedical Summit
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The HPTN 096 study team will host an exhibit booth and lead a workshop titled "HPTN 096: Evaluating a Community-Informed Integrated Strategy for Black MSM". This workshop will delve into the unique challenges faced by Black gay, bisexual, transgender, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) and explore HPTN 096: Building Equity Through Advocacy
. The integrated strategy will synergize four community-informed, status-neutral components aimed at overcoming social, structural, institutional, and behavioral barriers to HIV prevention in the southern U.S. These components include culturally responsive intersectional stigma prevention (CRISP), health equity, peer support, and social media - all designed to empower Black MSM by improving healthcare environments, enhancing community support, and leveraging social media for awareness and engagement.
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Additionally, HPTN 096 sponsors the PrEP in Black America pre-conference event on Thursday, April 18, in collaboration with the PrEP in Black America (PIBA) Coalition. The PIBA Coalition is a partnership of advocates from PrEP4All, Treatment Action Group, AVAC, Positive Impact Health Centers, Atlanta Black Women Leaders on PrEP, iSTRIVE Research Lab, Equity & Impact Solutions, and the Black Public Health Academy. The pre-conference event will discuss recommendations and strategies to increase Black community awareness and involvement in HIV prevention research.
For more information about the summit, including registration and access to the preliminary agenda, click here.
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IMPAACT 2017/MOCHA Finds Long-Acting HIV Therapy Effective in Adolescents
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Researchers from the IMPAACT Network recently published
findings in The Lancet HIV demonstrating support for using long-acting antiretroviral therapy (ART) for adolescents living with HIV. The MOCHA study (More Options for Children and Adolescents) is evaluating the safety, tolerability, acceptability, and pharmacokinetics of an intramuscular injection regimen of long-acting cabotegravir and rilpivirine.
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Results from Cohort 1 found that the drug concentrations in virologically suppressed adolescents aged 12 years and older and weighing at least 35kg were comparable to those in adults. This suggests that the adult dosing regimens (every 4 weeks or 8 weeks) are suitable for adolescents. Most adolescents (89%) stayed virologically suppressed through Week 16. Findings from this study open the door to alternative HIV treatment options for adolescents, aligning dosing intervals with adults and supporting broader use of long-acting ART in younger populations. A secondary analysis,
published concurrently in The Lancet HIV, showed high acceptability and tolerability among adolescents.
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AIDS 2024 Late-Breaker Abstract Submissions
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The 25th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2024) will be held in Munich, Germany, and virtually from 22-26 July 2024. Late-breaker deadlines for the conference are as follows:
+ 8 April 2024: Late-breaker abstract submission opens
+ 18 April 2024: Deadline for late breaker abstracts for IMPAACT review (email to impaact.pubs@fstrf.org)
+ 2 May 2024: Late-breaker abstract submission closes
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International Workshop on HIV & Pediatrics 2024
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The 16th International Workshop on HIV & Pediatrics will take place in a hybrid format from 19-20 July 2024 in Munich, Germany. Registration is currently open. Deadlines for abstracts for the conference are as follows:
+ Friday, 12 April 2024: Deadline for general abstracts for IMPAACT review (email to impaact.pubs@fstrf.org)
+ Friday, 26 April 2024: Conference deadline for general abstract submission
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Behavioral and Social Sciences
Greg Davis, HANC Project Manager
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Behavioral Science Consultative Group: The Behavioral Science Consultative Group have begun working on a measures coordination project. This project will be the focus of the group for the year. The group is also planning a working meeting in Seattle, WA on August 2, 2024.
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Community Coordination
Greg Davis
HANC Project Manager
Russell Campbell
HANC Director
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Community Partners: Community Partners: Community Partners (CP) selected two members to join and represent CP on the Strategic Working Group (SWG). Once the new members are confirmed, we will announce the two members. CP is also starting to plan it’s first face-to-face meeting since 2019. CP will meet before the IMPAACT meeting on September 19-20. On the next Community Partners Executive Committee call, the group will begin discussing potential agenda items for the upcoming face-to-face meeting.
TB Vaccine Community Engagement Strategy WG: The TB Vaccine Community Engagement Strategy WG recently released a modifiable Bill of Rights and Responsibilities for TB Research in English and Spanish. The group also published a TB Prevention Toolbox graphic that is available in English and Spanish. The graphic will be translated into other languages soon.
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Cross-Network Coordination
Kathleen Pescasio, HANC Cross-Network Project Manager
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The Cross-Network Data Management Center Working Group (DMCWG) continues
to discuss recent experiences with changes to survey software tools and study enrollment systems. Frontier Science successfully transitioned to the Rave EDC platform and is continuing to explore additional modules in Medidata. SCHARP has made great progress with the EMR data extraction process and is continuing to explore other ways to extract data from second entities.
The Cross-Network Evaluation Working Group (EWG) continues to discuss standardization for evaluation metrics and reporting within the networks. The group also shared that the ACTG implemented a formalized CAPA process for the last evaluation period, which received good feedback.
The Cross-Network Communications Working Group (CWG) shared recent experiences at CROI 2024 and their plans for upcoming conferences. The group also continues to discuss experiences with communications tools and resources.
The Cross-Network Site Coordinators Working Group (SCWG) discussed recent experiences with monitoring visits. The SCWG is also having discussions on how to identify and address site-level issues. The group completed the CRS Coordinator Onboarding Checklist, which can be accessed on the HANC website.
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Laboratory Coordination
Tyler Brown, HANC Laboratory Project Manager
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In March, the Laboratory Technologists SOP Working Group held three meetings to continue draft guidelines for pharmacokinetic processing in laboratories participating in ACTG and IMPAACT protocols.
The Lab Focus Group (LFG) met in March to discuss storage requirements for Trial Master File (TMF) materials and the upcoming review of the Cross-Network PBMC Processing SOP. In February, the LFG released an updated version of the
Primary Network Laboratory Assignments List.
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The Legacy Project
Brian Minalga, HANC Deputy Director
Gabriella Olague, HANC Project Coordinator
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3/27: The Legacy Project’s Women’s HIV Research Collaborative hosted their first webinar of the year, “Barriers to HIV Care and Prevention for Women in the U.S” with 58 people in attendance! The entire video and slides will be made available on the HANC website for any who were not able to attend.
4/4-5: The Legacy Project is involved in early discussions to support community engagement in the PURPOSE studies
of long-acting Lenacapavir for HIV prevention, including PURPOSE 3 and 4, which are being conducted in partnership with the HPTN and focus specifically on cisgender women in the US and people who inject drugs, respectively.
4/5: Happy HANC work anniversary to Legacy Project Coordinator, Gabriella Olague!
4/8 and 5/13: The
Legacy Project Working Group (LPWG) has a new meeting format that includes monthly presentations from experts working in the field of underrepresented populations in HIV clinical trials. The featured topic for our April meeting is, “Meet the Sites,” and will include presentations from clinical research site staff working to enroll underrepresented populations. In May, we will welcome the study team from HPTN 113, a study of HIV and STI prevention among Latino men in the Americas. The LPWG typically meets at 11 a.m. Pacific on the second Monday of each month. If you’re interested in joining, please contact Cat Banobi (cbanobi@fredhutch.org).
4/18-20: Say hi to the Legacy Project staff at the Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit and the pre-Summit hosted by PrEP in Black America
in our very own headquarters city of Seattle! You’ll find Russell Campbell (HANC Director), as a speaker at the opening plenary, Brian Minalga (HANC Deputy Director) as a facilitator for the Clinical Trials 101 workshop, as well as Gabriella Olague, Cat Banobi, and Murph Fuentes participating throughout the Summit and pre-Summit. Ask us if you need any local recommendations–we can’t wait to welcome you to our city!
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Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit (Seattle, USA)
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HVTN Annual Network Meeting (Washington DC, USA)
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ACTG Annual Network Meeting (Washington DC, USA)
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HPTN Annual Network Meeting (Washington DC, USA)
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IMPAACT Annual Network Meeting (Arlington, USA)
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