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Development of Ingestible Biosensors to Enhance PrEP Adherence in Substance Users (PrEPSteps)

Mass General Brigham logo

Mass General Brigham

Status and phase

Completed
Phase 3

Conditions

Substance Use Disorders
HIV Infections

Treatments

Drug: Truvada
Device: Digital pill
Behavioral: PrEPsteps

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other
Industry
NIH

Identifiers

NCT03512418
2019P000792
K23DA044874 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will deploy a novel, personalized, smartphone-based intervention (PrEPSteps) that responds to real-time PrEP adherence and nonadherence detected through the use of a digital pill. The PrEPSteps intervention will be developed and refined through a series of focus groups. Participants will be screened at the Screening Visit, and, if eligible, will then begin using the digital pill system at Study Visit 1 for 2 weeks. At Study Visit 2, participants will undergo randomization to using either PrEPSteps + the digital pill, or the digital pill alone to measure PrEP adherence, for 90 days. Participants will then complete 3 monthly study visits (Study Visits 3-5) where the investigators will assess digital pill adherence, conduct manual pill counts, obtain dried blood spots to confirm adherence, provide substance use disorder counseling, and obtain urine drug screens. At Study Visit 5, the investigators will conduct a semi-structured qualitative interview with participants in the PrEPsteps arm, which will be grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model, in order to understand the user response to PrEPSteps and the digital pill. All participants will complete the final follow-up assessment 3 months after Study Visit 5 (Study Visit 6).

Full description

PrEPSteps is a novel, smartphone-based behavioral intervention that delivers PrEP adherence messages in response to detected PrEP ingestion via an innovative digital pill. PrEPSteps comprises 1) an adaptation of LifeSteps, an evidence-based medication adherence behavioral intervention, with smartphone-delivered booster sessions, 2) messages of contingent reinforcement and corrective feedback, and 3) stimulant use screening, brief assessment, and referral to treatment. In this K23, the investigators will first refine and inform the specification of PrEPSteps with a series of focus groups. The investigators will next test the feasibility, acceptability and potential for an effect of PrEPSteps to boost PrEP adherence in a pilot randomized controlled trial of men who have sex with men (MSM) with stimulant use. Finally, the investigators will conduct qualitative interviews among participants who used PrEPSteps to understand the participant response to living with the intervention.

Enrollment

30 patients

Sex

Male

Ages

18+ years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

  • Cisgender MSM
  • Moderate to severe non-alcohol substance use disorder
  • Self-reported missed PrEP doses (> or equal to 2 doses in 1 week over past 3 months)
  • HIV negative
  • On PrEP or initiating PrEP
  • Has qualifying laboratory testing: Cr clearance, HBV, liver function tests
  • Owns a smartphone with Android or iOS
  • Age 18 or older

Exclusion criteria

  • Non-English speaker
  • HIV positive
  • History of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis
  • History of gastric bypass, bowel stricture
  • History of GI malignancy or radiation to abdomen
  • Unable/unwilling to ingest a digital pill
  • Allergy to gelatin, silver or zinc (components of the digital pill)
  • Does not qualify for PrEP (abnormal liver function, or Cr Clearance <60)

Trial design

Primary purpose

Prevention

Allocation

Randomized

Interventional model

Parallel Assignment

Masking

None (Open label)

30 participants in 2 patient groups

PrEPsteps
Experimental group
Description:
Participants receive the digital pills with Truvada, plus the PrEPsteps intervention that is programmed at the randomization study visit (Study Visit 2). Participants will use PrEPsteps and the digital pill to measure Truvada adherence for months 1-3.
Treatment:
Behavioral: PrEPsteps
Device: Digital pill
Drug: Truvada
Control
Active Comparator group
Description:
Participants receive digital pills with Truvada alone. Participants will use digital pills with Truvada for months 1-3.
Treatment:
Device: Digital pill
Drug: Truvada

Trial documents
1

Trial contacts and locations

1

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Central trial contact

Georgia Goodman, BS; Peter R Chai, MD, MMS

Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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