AIDS Clinical Trials Group

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Investigator: Monica Gandhi, MD, MPH
Sponsor: Brigham and Women's Hospital

Location(s): United States

Description

The AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) was initially established in 1987 to broaden the scope of the AIDS research effort of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The ACTG established and supports the largest Network of expert clinical and translational investigators and therapeutic clinical trials units in the world, including sites in resource-limited countries. These investigators and units serve as the major resource for HIV/AIDS research, treatment, care, and training/education in their communities.

The work accomplished by the ACTG has had a profound impact on the well-being of persons infected with HIV-1. Clinical trials and laboratory studies conducted by the ACTG have made major contributions to optimizing antiretroviral therapy (ART), managing drug resistance, preventing and treating co-infections, evaluating acute and long-term toxicities, and demonstrating the importance of pharmacogenomics in predicting drug toxicities. Results of these studies have helped establish the paradigm for the management of HIV disease and form the basis of current treatment guidelines. This progress in the treatment of HIV-1-infected individuals has resulted in dramatic reductions in AIDS mortality in the U.S. and other countries of the developed world.

The mission of the ACTG is to cure HIV infection and reduce the burden of disease due to HIV infection and its complications, including tuberculosis and viral hepatitis.