Reaching 90% HIV Suppression: The Role of POC Viral Load Monitoring in Nigeria

The UNAIDS 90-90-90 goals represents an ambitious strategy to end the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic by 2020 \[UNAIDS, 2015\]. While viral load (VL) quantification is the gold standard of HIV treatment monitoring, it is only routinely available and employed in resource-rich countries. The use of an affordable, reliable, point-of-care (POC) VL assay has been considered a "game-changer", where increased access, minimal lab worker training, and same day results could be addressed in a single solution. To date, POC VL assays have been evaluated by their manufacturers with reference panels of samples with some in-country laboratory evaluations. While these are appropriate and critical first steps, it is also important to evaluate the impact of this new technology against the standard of care (SOC) method of VL monitoring in an actual resource-limited setting. Nigeria has the second highest burden of HIV in the world, with an estimated 3.2 million infected and serves as a relevant setting for testing feasibility and efficacy of POC VL monitoring \[UNAIDS, 2016\]. In order to present the case for implementing the use of POC VL testing across Nigeria, data on the acceptability, feasibility and efficacy of using POC testing for VL monitoring are needed. To address this need, the investigators have designed a randomized controlled trial comparing POC VL to monitoring to the SOC, which follows the Nigerian National Guidelines, to provide operational evidence for implementation of POC VL testing in Nigeria. This trial is aimed at testing the hypothesis that using POC versus SOC VL monitoring in HIV-infected patients newly initiating ART will improve overall ART outcomes, increase ART adherence and program retention rates, and result in faster switches to second-line treatment of patients failing first-line ART.

The investigators will conduct an un-blinded randomized implementation trial comparing POC VL monitoring, using the Cepheid Gene Xpert HIV-1 VL®, to SOC VL monitoring, using the Roche AmpliPrep/COBAS Taqman system. The trial will be conducted at two sites in Plateau State, Nigeria. ART-naïve patients initiating ART will be randomized on a 1:1 basis to the SOC VL monitoring control arm or the POC VL monitoring arm. VL monitoring will occur according to the current Nigerian ART guidelines-recommended algorithm, with the addition of a baseline VL test. For the month 6 and 12 visits, patients that are enrolled in the POC VL monitoring arm will be provided their VL results. Participants in the SOC arm will receive their Roche VL test results after the results become available per SOC protocol. All other aspects of their HIV care and treatment will be identical to services that they would normally receive at these treatment centers. The investigators will follow all patients up through their Month 12 follow-up visit. At trial exit, the investigators will ask patients, caregivers of patients under the age of 18 years, and providers for their participation in surveys on the operational performance and acceptability of the POC versus SOC VL monitoring. Following that time point, the patients will continue receiving HIV care and treatment utilizing the SOC procedures for the clinic.