Could trial pave the way for large-scale HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis scheme?
A three-year trial will see 10,000 people at high risk of HIV infection given pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) on the NHS.
The trial, known as IMPACT, will be funded by NHS England and co-ordinated by Public Health England and St Stephen’s Aids Trust. It will provide data to help commissioners make future decisions about PrEP. The trial begins in September in sexual health clinics in Brighton, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Sheffield. It will be rolled out to the rest of England by April 2018.
Men, women and transgender people aged over 16 who are assessed as being at high risk of HIV acquisition can consent to join the trial.
The budget for the trial is £10m. This will pay for the drugs and the costs to local authorities and sexual health clinics in delivering and monitoring the intervention.
Further information
Public Health England: HIV: annual data tables
Prepster: IMPACT trial