Current clinical trials update on HIV/AIDS: A systematic review

Abstract

Several clinical trials using different interventions are being sponsored to combat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) at different stages. For evidence-based knowledge studies in medicine, clinical trials are of utmost importance. A legislative requirement to register the clinical trials at the Clinical- Trials.gov provides the information necessary for intensive evaluation, which was previously not possible. The purpose of this study was to provide an intensive portfolio of HIV clinical trials and perform a retrospective ClinicalTrials.gov data review. All active, open, and recruiting clinical trials registered at ClinicalTrials.gov up to May 2018 were included. Information related to trial characteristics, intervention type, primary outcome, and patient enrollment timeline was extracted. Information related to 10,182 registered HIV trials was download from ClinicalTrials.gov. Phase 2 clinical trials were the major ones comprising nearly 1.6% of total clinical trials with the industry being the major sponsor followed by NIH. Other characteristics analyzed included the number of trial centers, primary outcome, treatment setting, and time relation with phases. Common intervention were classified into adjuvant, non-adjuvant, and radiotherapy. The clinical trials data analysis provides a comprehensive description of HIV trials. The information provided may be useful to re-tailor the intervention techniques and to overcome the discrepancy in data management for clinical trials which would improve clinical trial design, and reduce failures and cost of trials.