Gabapentin to Help People with HIV Reach Viral Suppression by Reducing Alcohol Use
Official title: Gabapentin to Reduce Alcohol and Improve Viral Load Suppression - Promoting "Treatment as Prevention"
Funded at Boston Medical Center · NIH-11406297 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A clinical trial tests whether gabapentin can help people with HIV who drink heavily achieve better viral control by reducing alcohol use and improving ART adherence.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $520,034 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AA030460-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11406297 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with HIV who drink heavily and have had detectable viral load in the past year.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not drink heavily or who already have sustained viral suppression may not benefit from this intervention.
What this research studies
This study focuses on adults living with HIV who drink heavily and have not achieved stable viral suppression. Participants will be randomly assigned to gabapentin or placebo and will be followed to see if reducing alcohol use helps them adhere to HIV medications and lower their viral load. The trial is designed as a double-blind, placebo-controlled test to determine if gabapentin can support the HIV care cascade and treatment as prevention. Researchers will monitor safety, alcohol consumption, ART adherence, and HIV viral load over time. If successful, the approach could become an additional tool to help people with HIV stay healthier and prevent transmission.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If effective, gabapentin could help patients with HIV reduce alcohol use, improve ART adherence, and achieve viral suppression more reliably.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies suggest that reducing alcohol use can improve HIV outcomes, but this specific gabapentin strategy for HVL suppression is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Boston Medical Center
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Samet, Jeffrey H. — Boston Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Samet, Jeffrey H.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.