AIDS Clinical Trials Group
The AIDS Clinical Trials Group network is one of the largest HIV clinical trials organizations in the world, playing a major role in setting standards of care for HIV infection and opportunistic diseases related to HIV and AIDS in the United States and the developing world. The ACTG is composed of, and directed by, leading clinical scientists in HIV/AIDS therapeutic research. The ACTG is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health through the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Mission
Through innovative studies of the treatment of HIV-1 infection and its complications, ACTG research focuses on:- New therapies based on knowledge of the cellular events and reactions in the development of disease
- Treatment strategies to limit replication of HIV-1 and improve disease-free survival among infected individuals
- Rapid development of agents that prevent or delay the complications of HIV-related disorders
- HIV-1 pathogenesis through advanced laboratory investigation
- Recruitment and retention of clinical trial participants who reflect the changing demographics of the AIDS epidemic
- Therapeutic approaches that improve quality of life for persons with HIV-1 infection
History
Scientific accomplishments
- Integral involvement in new antiretroviral drug development: Zidovudine, Zalcitabine, Didanosine, Stavudine, nevirapine, delavirdine, indinavir, amprenavir, ritonavir
- Established standards for evaluation of combination antiretroviral therapy with nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and protease inhibitors
- Evaluation of pharmacokinetics of novel agents and important drug interactions
- Established standard of care for treatment and prevention of HIV-1 associated opportunistic complications:
- Established standard of care for treatment of HIV-1 associated malignancies
- Evaluation of neurologic complications of HIV/AIDS - dementia, sensory neuropathy