HPTN 052: Science Breakthrough of the Year, 2011

January 11, 2012
By Mindy Miner

Every year the journal Science announces the Breakthrough of the Year, an honor bestowed on research that impacts a wide array of scientists and has far-reaching and profound implications. The winner of Breakthrough of the Year, 2011 went to “HIV Treatment as Prevention,” based on the HPTN 052 phase III clinical trial that showed early antiretroviral therapy, as compared with delayed administration, resulted in a 96% reduction in HIV transmission to uninfected partners in serodiscordant couples (Cohen et al. NEJM Aug 2011).

Combination antiretroviral therapy can lower HIV viral load and delay HIV disease progression to AIDS, however the best timing of antiretroviral administration to those infected with HIV has been controversial. 

HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) investigators, including VIDD and SCHARP members Dr. Ying Chen and Dr. Thomas Fleming and VIDD senior staff scientist Dr. Lei Wang, designed and implemented a long-term, randomized phase III study of HIV-serodiscordant couples in whom the infected partner was given antiretroviral therapy either immediately after HIV diagnosis or at the time of low CD4 T-cell counts. The study demonstrated that early antiretroviral therapy resulted in a considerable reduction in the risk of HIV transmission between serodiscordant couples and a reduction in the rate of progression to late-stage disease.

“In combination with other promising clinical trials, the results have galvanized efforts to end the world’s AIDS epidemic in a way that would have been inconceivable even a year ago,” wrote Science Editor-in-Chief Bruce Alberts.

Read the original publication here: Cohen, et al. Prevention of HIV-1 infection with early antiretroviral therapy.  N Engl J Med. 2011 Aug 11;365(6):493-505.

Read Albert’s full editorial here: Breakthrough of the Year, 2011.