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Results of study ‘should dramatically change the approach to treatment for people living with HIV in the UK’, says NAT.

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Early results from the START study (Strategic Timing of AntiRetroviral Treatment) released last night show that there are significant health benefits if people living with HIV start taking treatment earlier than the current UK guidelines recommend.  

Deborah Gold, Chief Executive of NAT (National AIDS Trust) said:

“These exciting results should dramatically change the approach to treatment for people living with HIV, both in the UK and internationally. There is now clear evidence that starting treatment earlier is better for people’s health, as well as reducing the chance of the virus being passed on to others. 

We are calling on NHS England and BHIVA to act quickly on these results and make sure that people living with HIV can access treatment as soon as the want to, given the significant health and prevention benefits.”

Notes to the editor:

The START study was funded by the US based National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). 

Press release and NIAID Q&A are available here:

http://www.niaid.nih.gov/news/newsreleases/2015/Pages/START.aspx#

Ibase have developed a Q&A on what the study results mean for people living with HIV:

http://i-base.info/i-base-qa-on-the-start-study-results

BHIVA, the British HIV Association, is the UK association representing HIV treatment and care professionals, and is responsible for developing clinical guidelines for HIV care.

http://www.bhiva.org/home.aspx

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