Varenicline plus mobile phone support to help people with HIV in India quit tobacco

Varenicline and mobile behavioral assistance for tobacco cessation in HIV care in India

NIH-funded research University of Colorado Denver · NIH-11398716

This project offers varenicline medication together with a mobile phone behavioral program to help adults living with HIV in India stop using smoked or smokeless tobacco.

Quick facts

Grant typeU01 cooperative agreement
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Colorado Denver NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES)
Project IDNIH-11398716 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would receive a proven quitting medication, varenicline, along with a behavioral program adapted for delivery by mobile phone called Positively Smoke Free–Mobile (PSF-M). The program adds extra support to help you take varenicline as prescribed and uses phone messages and counseling elements instead of or in addition to in-person sessions. The research is being run in HIV care clinics in India where many patients use tobacco and have mobile phones. The team will compare outcomes like quitting and medication adherence between groups receiving the combined intervention and usual care.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adults (21+) living with HIV who currently use smoked or smokeless tobacco and receive care at participating HIV clinics in India are the intended participants.

Not a fit: People who do not use tobacco, are under 21, cannot use a mobile phone, or have medical reasons they cannot take varenicline may not benefit from this program.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help more people with HIV in India quit tobacco, improving their health and HIV outcomes.

How similar studies have performed: Previous work shows PSF and varenicline can help people with HIV quit in higher-income settings, but combining mobile PSF with adherence support for varenicline in India is relatively new.

Where this research is happening

Aurora, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome VirusAcquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Virus
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.