UW School of Medicine Online News

Vol. 7, No. 28
July 25, 2003

Study looks at herpes treatment to prevent HIV spread

Scientists will conduct a study at 10 places in Africa, India and Latin American to determine whether suppressing genital herpes can reduce human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is funding the study with a $30 million grant. The Foundation’s purpose is to improve equity in global health and education.

The study will see whether treating genital herpes with acyclovir, a widely used, inexpensive, generic medication, can reduce HIV transmission. If successful, the approach could become part of HIV prevention in the developing world.

Research has shown that genital herpes puts people at risk for transmitting and acquiring HIV. At least half of the people in the world with HIV infections also have herpes simplex virus type 2. Such individuals are more likely to transmit HIV, which can be shed through herpes sores. People who have genital herpes are about twice as likely to become infected with HIV.

The study, which starts in 2004, will enroll more than 3,600 monogamous couples. One partner must be HIV-positive and have genital herpes, and the other must be HIV-negative. HIV-positive partners will receive either twice-daily 400 mg acyclovir therapy, or a placebo. Each couple will be followed for a year, and will also receive condoms, screening and treatment for other sexually transmitted diseases, risk reduction counseling, and referral to HIV/AIDS treatment.

Connie Celum, UW professor of medicine, is the principal investigator. Co-investigators are Anna Wald, associate professor of medicine, laboratory medicine, and epidemiology; Larry Corey, head of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center’s Program in Infectious Diseases and UW professor of medicine and laboratory medicine; Rhoda Ashley-Morrow, professor of laboratory medicine, and James Hughes, associate professor of biostatistics.


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