The DART Trial Evaluates two strategies for delivering ART, comparing: clinical monitoring only with routine laboratory + clinical monitoring structured treatment interruptions with continuous ART
Trial features I 5 year trial 3 sites: Harare, Kampala, Entebbe 3000 patients – 1000 at each site / 1 year Primary endpoints : Efficacy -progression to a new WHO stage 4 or death Safety - new SAE which is not HIV related Other outcomes: Adherence, Virological including resistance, Socioeconomic & behavioural impact
DART Entebbe Collaboration with TASO and Entebbe Hospital DART Clinic at Entebbe Hospital – MOH Care services: Counseling Diagnosis of HIV related illness & OIs Treatment of HIV related illness & OIs Antiretroviral therapy & monitoring Psychosocial support
Funding Sources Medical Research Council, UK Rockefeller Foundation, USA Department for International Development, UK Rock House Foundation, UK
Drugs Anti-retroviral drugs donated by Boehringer-Ingelheim- Nevirapine Gilead- Tenofovir GlaxoSmithKline- Combivir
Trial Review Process 2 yrs + Risk benefits fine Most attention to end of trial issues Concern about exclusion of pregnant women ? What happens after patient community Very little discussion on ability of participants to decline
Trial Approval UVRI Science & Ethics Committee Uganda National Council for Science & Technology - granted research clearance Ethics committees in Zimbabwe & UK Support letter from MOH
Trial Monitoring Trial Steering Committee International Co-ordinating Group Local Trial Management Committees Analysis & Data Management Committee Data & Safety Monitoring Committee Pharmaceutical companies - adverse events End Point Review Committee
International Coordinating Group PI’s Dr Peter Mugyenyi - Kampala Prof Jimmy Whittworth - Entebbe Prof Ahmed Latif - Zimbabwe Prof James Hakim - Zimbabwe Prof Janet Darbyshire - London Prof Charles Gilks - Geneva Site investigators Dr Diana Gibb - London Dr Andrew Reid - Zimbabwe Dr Cissy Kityo - Kampala Dr Paula Munderi - Entebbe Plus Dr Dorothy Bray - Consultant Dr Alex Coutinho - TASO Uganda
Other ART Trials in Uganda 1992 JCRC Determining the lowest effective dose of AZT 16 weeks duration 1 yr therapy to participants post trial
Other Trials…………… Care project ( Pharmaccess, GSK, Roche ) Uganda, Kenya, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire Response, Side effects, Education & adherence 200 participants total, 50 in each country Will provide ART to participants post trial
Other Trials…………… JCRC - NIH Evaluation of short STI strategies ( 7 days on 7 days off / Weekend off ) 171 participants to date Clinical follow up and monitoring provided Patients pay for own ART but save on drug cost ( 50% 7 days ; 30% weekend)