Understanding what helps people with HIV who use drugs stay on treatment and reach viral suppression
Estimating Mediation and Moderation Effects in HIV Care Continuum Intervention Trials for People who Use Drugs
Researchers will re-analyze data from several past trials to find which parts of HIV care programs most help people living with HIV who use drugs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | San Diego State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Diego, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11263702 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project looks back at four completed HIV trials that enrolled people who use drugs in the U.S., Vietnam, Indonesia, Russia, and Ukraine. The team will examine which program components (like stigma reduction, patient navigation, contingency management, and counseling) led to better outcomes such as viral suppression, higher CD4 counts, or lower mortality. They will analyze mediators (the pathways that explain how an effect happens) and moderators (who benefits most) to understand why some interventions worked and for whom. The work uses existing trial data and does not enroll new participants.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This work is most relevant to people living with HIV who currently use drugs or have a recent history of injection drug use.
Not a fit: People who do not have HIV or who do not use drugs are unlikely to benefit directly from these specific analyses.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help tailor HIV care programs to better support people who use drugs and improve viral suppression and survival.
How similar studies have performed: Prior trials of stigma reduction, patient navigation, contingency management, and systems navigation have shown benefits for treatment engagement and viral suppression, and this pooled mediation/moderation analysis is a novel way to learn why and for whom those approaches worked.
Where this research is happening
San Diego, United States
- San Diego State University — San Diego, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pitpitan, Eileen Virtusio — San Diego State University
- Study coordinator: Pitpitan, Eileen Virtusio
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 below.