July 11, 2004, Bangkok � Results presented by PharmAccess Foundation and Roche from the CARE study (Cohort program to evaluate Access to anti-Retroviral therapy and Education) at the International AIDS Conference, Bangkok, have revealed that treatment success rates using highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) in people living with HIV/AIDS in Africa can be as high as those achieved in Western settings.

Professor Papa Salif Sow, study investigator from Senegal commented, �With almost four million people in Africa in immediate need of HIV therapy[1], delivering HAART is a huge challenge.  The CARE programme demonstrates how effective the use of HAART can be in the treatment of HIV/AIDS in resource-poor settings, such as Africa, and the impact it can have in terms of reduced mortality rates. It is essential that studies, such as CARE, continue to be conducted to help us establish the true needs of those with HIV at a local level, and develop our understanding of how these can best be met.  We believe the CARE programme has given us vital learnings and outputs, which will not only benefit those involved in the study, but all people with HIV/AIDS living in resource-poor settings.�

This first-of-its-kind, ongoing 96-week, single-arm, open-label cohort study is being conducted in four countries in Africa[2], to assess the efficacy of HAART in people with HIV.  At 24 weeks, the results demonstrated that it is possible to administer HAART and achieve comparable treatment success rates, both in terms of virologic and immunologic response, as those achieved in a western setting.  Although the results varied between the four countries from 86% to 25%, the average number of patients achieving undetectable levels of virus in their blood (viral load less than 400 copies per ml) was 68%, compared to an average of 62% in high income countries[3].  The median increase in CD4 cell count achieved was 99 cells/μl. 

A total of 207 antiretroviral-na�ve patients were recruited at the start of the study and received a treatment regimen of saquinavir/ritonavir, lamivudine and zidovudine.  This treatment regimen was selected due to the relatively low cost, twice-daily dosing schedule, number of pills and the known efficacy and safety profile.

The CARE programme took 12 months to establish and presented considerable logistical and administrative challenges, including language barriers, establishing suitable local medical infrastructure, and the shipment and storage of the medicines.  Once the initial challenges had been overcome, patients were quickly enrolled into the programme.

It is hoped the CARE programme can be used as a model for the development of other HIV/AIDS programmes in similar settings.

Notes to Editors:

The CARE programme was launched in February 2001 by PharmAccess Foundation and Roche, as an initiative to provide access to HIV care and ARV treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS in Africa.   The aim of the programme is to widen access to HIV therapy by focussing on disease education and building up local medical infrastructure.

PharmAccess Foundation is a multi-service, non-profit organization dedicated to rapidly scaling-up access to HIV/AIDS care and treatment in resource-limited regions of the world.  PharmAccess was founded in 2000 by Professor Joep M.A. Lange, president of the International AIDS Society.

The programme is facilitated by PharmAccess Foundation, Amsterdam, The Netherlands and is financially supported by Roche, with additional materials supported by Roche Diagnostics.