Alere COMBO and Alere q Detect in an HIV PrEP Program in Thailand

Two new rapid HIV tests by Alere™ have the potential to substantially decrease the window period for rapid tests. First, the Alere™ HIV Combo is a rapid fourth generation test. The performance in a laboratory based setting was recently assessed at the Thai Red Cross Anonymous Clinic Laboratory in Bangkok, Thailand (personal communication). Of 50 confirmed acute HIV samples, Alere™ HIV Combo could detect 37 (74%), while none of these 50 cases could be identified by the currently used third generation tests. These data have not yet been published, but the preliminary results indicate a very favorable performance of the Alere™ HIV Combo in a facility-based laboratory setting.

Second, the Alere™ q HIV-1/2 Detect is a qualitative, cartridge based, nucleic acid amplification test designed for Point of Care use. Data from several early infant diagnosis studies in Sub-Saharan African countries have assessed the performance of the Alere™ q HIV-1/2 Detect. The test was performed in the field, by a range of health professionals, from nurses and laboratory technicians to medical doctors. The pooled analysis showed a sensitivity of 99.07% (95%CI 95.48 - 99.95%) and a specificity of 99.94% (99.72-100%).

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Key information

Conditions

HIV

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

Male

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Service Worker IN Group (SWING), Bang Rak, Bangkok, Thailand

About this study

This will be a prospective study, collecting blood samples from individuals receiving PrEP at one of two drop-in centers in Bangkok, Thailand:

Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand (RSAT) and Service Worker IN Group (SWING). RSAT is a community-based organization for people with sexual diversity (MSM, gay, transgender, lesbians, and bisexual), and has specific programs for MSM, transgender and lesbian health. SWING promotes HIV prevention among male and female sex workers and provides both community outreach and clinical services at their center. Both locations offer PrEP as part of their service.

Participants who visit the DICs seeking to receive PrEP will undergo HIV testing at several time points: before receiving PrEP (Month 0), one month after starting PrEP (Month 1), three months after starting PrEP (Month 3), and every three months thereafter.

The routine HIV testing algorithm in the DIC is as follows:

Determine® HIV-1/2 (Alere Medical Co., Ltd.), if reactive followed by two other rapid 3rd generation immunochromatography anti-HIV tests. These are all rapid tests on whole blood as collected by finger prick, performed by trained community health workers in the DIC.

For the purpose of this study, two additional blood samples will be taken by phlebotomy to perform:

The Anonymous Clinic HIV-testing algorithm (see Annex 1): Architect® HIV-1/2 Combo (Abbott), if reactive followed by Determine® HIV-1/2 (Alere) and Elecsys® HIV combi PT (Roche). Samples that are non-reactive by Architect® HIV-1/2 Combo will be tested by pooled NAAT using Aptima HIV-1 RNA qualitative assay (Hologic®) to screen for acute HIV infection. Samples that are positive by Architect®, Determine® and Elecsys® will be tested by second generation EIA (which detects IgG Ab) to identify acute HIV infection (i.e. 4th generation reactive and 2nd generation negative). This is the standard HIV testing algorithm performed at the Thai Red Cross Anonymous Clinic Laboratory and will identify acute HIV infections.
Alere™ HIV Combo Alere™ q HIV-1/2 Detect Both the regular DIC algorithm and the Anonymous Clinic algorithm will be used as comparator methods.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Will start receiving PrEP at one of the participating clinics
18 years or older
Willing to provide informed consent

Exclusion criteria

Not receiving PrEP at one of the participating clinics
HIV-infected

Treatment and study plan

AlereCOMBO and Alere q Detect

Device

The feasibility assessment will comprise of two components:

User's perspective: A questionnaire will be developed and used to assess the level of satisfaction among community health workers performing the two new tests, using a 5 point Likert scale. We will assess the training and manual, the use of the test, the user's confidence, troubleshooting and technical support components and resolving problems.
The laboratory component: For each test we will evaluate:

The percentage of assays completed
The percentage of assays incomplete (i.e. invalid result on two attempts)
Reasons for incomplete assays, e.g.

The sample could not be delivered to the strip or cartridge correctly
Invalid control
Results could not be interpreted
Others

Primary outcomes

HIV test results

Time frame: 5 years

The HIV test results will be reported by number and proportions for Alere™ HIV Combo, Alere™ q HIV-1/2 Detect and the standard HIV testing algorithms; the number of acute HIV infections detected by Alere™ HIV Combo and Alere™ q HIV-1/2 Detect will be calculated as the proportion of the total number of participants who have confirmed acute HIV infection. The reliability and validity assessment of Alere™ HIV Combo and Alere™ q HIV-1/2 Detect will be compared with the standard HIV testing and we will present the results as the sensitivity, specificity, number of false positives and number of false negatives. The measuring agreement of HIV test results will be compared between the standard HIV testing algorithms and Alere™ HIV Combo, the standard HIV testing algorithms and Alere™ q HIV-1/2 Detect.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre

Other

Collaborators

Alere, Inc.

Registry information

Official study title

Performance Characteristics of AlereCOMBO and Alere q Detect in an HIV PrEP Program in Thailand

Important dates

Study start: 2016
Primary completion: 2022
Study completion: 2023
First posted: Jun 21, 2017
Registry last updated: Feb 17, 2023

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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