Prism Health North Texas will be one of the largest U.S. sites for IMPOWER 22, a study for a new form of PrEP medication designed for women and transgender men. In collaboration with Merck and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the study will have large numbers of participants in sub-Saharan Africa, where women and girls are at extremely high risk of contracting HIV.
Currently two PrEP drugs — Truvada and Descovy — are on the market. Descovy has not been studied in large-scale clinical trials in women or transgender men, limiting them to one option for a pre-exposure prophylaxis treatment.
The trial medication is called Islatravir, a once-monthly oral tablet.
Who can participate?
Cisgender women aged 18-45 who do not have HIV, have been sexually active with at least one male partner in the past 30 days, are not in a mutually monogamous relationship with a recently tested HIV-negative partner and meet at least one of the following criteria are candidates for this study:
- Infrequent use of condoms during sex with one or more partners of unknown HIV status who are bisexual men or men who use intraveneous drugs.
- In an ongoing sexual relationship with an HIV-positive partner.
- Diagnosed with syphilis, gonorrhea, or chlamydia in the past six months.
How can someone participate:
Fill out an interest form online at Prism Health North Texas.
Participants will be compensated for their time and all study medication and study-related tests will be provided at no cost.
— David Taffet
