Evaluation of HCV Viremia Testing Approaches Among PWID in Georgia (HEAD-Start)

July 21, 2020 updated by: Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Switzerland

Feasibility, Acceptability, Effectiveness and Cost-analysis of Models of HCV Viremia Testing for Confirmation and Cure Among People Who Inject Drugs (PWID): the HEAD*-Start Trial in Georgia

This study will evaluate two novel approaches to improve access to Hepatitis C virus (HCV) confirmatory viremia testing. Both approaches are "Harm reduction site-based (HRS)" because HCV viremia testing will be initiated and test results will be provided at the HRSs. These approaches will be compared to the current standard of care (control) in which anti-HCV-positive individuals must travel to a HCV treatment centre for HCV viremia testing. The investigators hypothesize that improving access to viremia testing improves linkage to care and reduces loss to follow-up among those who screen anti-HCV-positive.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

A major step in identifying HCV infected individuals in Georgia has already been implemented by providing rapid anti-HCV testing for people who inject drugs (PWID) at HRS. However, access to HCV confirmatory viremia testing remains limited as PWID must be referred to treatment centers for testing.

Two novel approaches to improve access to HCV viremia testing will be evaluated.

In the first approach, participants with a positive anti-HCV test will have blood drawn and HCV RNA test performed at the HRS. Test results will be provided the same day (or the following day if the participant is unable to wait for results) at the HRS.

In the second approach participants with a positive anti-HCV test will have blood drawn at the HRS. The blood will be processed on site and a plasma sample shipped to a central laboratory for viremia testing. Test results will be communicated to the participants by HRS staff at a follow-up visit as soon as the results are available.

In both groups, participants who test positive will be referred to a treatment centre for further assessments and subsequent treatment initiation.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
1672

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Georgia
      • Batumi, Georgia
        • Imedi Harm Reduction Site
      • Gori, Georgia
        • Step to the Future Harm Reduction Site
      • Kutaisi, Georgia
        • New Way Harm Reduction Site
      • Rust'avi, Georgia
        • New Vector Harm Reduction Site
      • Tbilisi, Georgia
        • Akeso Harm Reduction Site
      • Tbilisi, Georgia
        • New Vector Harm Reduction Site
      • Tbilisi, Georgia
        • New Way Harm Reduction Site
      • Zugdidi, Georgia
        • Xenon Harm Reduction Site

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

  1. People who inject drugs attending for care and needle provision at harm reduction sites.

    Inclusion criteria:

    • Any history of injection drug use (IDU)
    • Age ≥18 years
    • Anti-HCV-positive on rapid diagnostic test performed at the HRS
    • Eligible for the Georgia HCV State Program
    • Living in the catchment area served by the HRS
    • No plans to move out of the catchment area during the next 6 months
    • Willing and able to give informed consent

    Exclusion criteria:

    • Tested HCV RNA-positive from April 2015
    • Pregnancy (self-report)
    • Currently on treatment for hepatitis C
    • Unable to provide a blood sample

  2. HRS staff involved in HCV testing and care:

    Inclusion criteria

    • Provide HCV services at HRS from screening through linkage to care.
  3. Laboratory staff performing HCV viremia testing at the HRSs, Lugar Centre and Treatment centres:

Inclusion criteria:

  • Perform HCV viremia testing

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Decentralized testing approach
Harm reduction site HCV viremia testing approach A. Four HRS will conduct blood draw and point-of-service (decentralized) HCV RNA testing, and results will be provided at the HRS on the same or the following day.
Other: HCV viremia testing approaches
Blood draw and HCV viremia testing is done at point of service (Intervention A) Blood draw at point of service and HCV viremia testing at a centralized laboratory (Intervention B)
Experimental: Centralized testing approach
Harm reduction site HCV viremia testing approach B. Two sites will collect blood samples on site and transport them to a reference (centralized) laboratory for HCV viremia testing. Results will be provided at a follow-up visit to the HRS as soon as results are available.
Other: HCV viremia testing approaches
Blood draw and HCV viremia testing is done at point of service (Intervention A) Blood draw at point of service and HCV viremia testing at a centralized laboratory (Intervention B)
No Intervention: Standard of Care
Current standard of care. Patients who screen anti-HCV positive at HRS will be referred to HCV treatment centers for HCV RNA testing, and results will be provided at a follow-up visit to the treatment center.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
HCV care cascade
Time Frame: 6 months
1.1. Proportion of participants with a positive HCV viremia test who complete each subsequent step in the HCV care cascade
6 months
HCV confirmatory viremia test result receipt
Time Frame: 1-30 days
Proven superiority (with a margin of 10%) of the proportion of participants with a positive anti-HCV test who receive results of an HCV confirmation of viremia test in each intervention arm separately, compared to referral-based testing (SOC)
1-30 days

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Entry into HCV care
Time Frame: 1-14 days
Proven superiority (with a margin of 10%) of the proportion of participants with positive anti-HCV test who submit a blood sample for viremia testing in each intervention arm separately, compared to referral based testing (SOC)
1-14 days
Treatment Initiation Fraction
Time Frame: 4 weeks
Proportion of participants with positive HCV viremia test who initiate hepatitis treatment
4 weeks
HCV confirmatory viremia test result receipt by intervention
Time Frame: 1-14 day
Proportion of participants with a positive anti-HCV test who receive results of an HCV confirmation of viremia test using decentralized HCV RNA testing compared to centralized HCV core antigen
1-14 day
Cost of HCV confirmatory viremia testing approach
Time Frame: 6 months
Costs of HCV viremia testing approaches from a health service and patient perspective
6 months
Operational performance of HCV confirmatory viremia testing
Time Frame: 6 months
Testing volumes at the harm reduction sites
6 months
Uptake of HCV confirmatory viremia testing
Time Frame: 4-8 weeks
Facilitators and barriers of getting an HCV confirmatory viremia test as perceived by participants and health care workers
4-8 weeks
Attitudes and preferences of participants for HCV confirmatory viremia testing as assessed on a Likert scale
Time Frame: 4-8 weeks
Willingness of participants to get HCV confirmatory viremia testing as assessed on the Likert Scale of 'strongly agree' (0), 'agree' (1), 'neither agree nor disagree' (2), 'disagree' (3), 'strongly disagree' (4)
4-8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Switzerland

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
The National Center for Disease Control and Public Health
Health Research Union

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Study Director: Sonjelle Shilton, Find
  • Principal Investigator: Irma Khonelidze, National Centre for Disease Control, Georgia

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
May 21, 2018

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
September 30, 2019

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 21, 2020

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 13, 2018

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 19, 2018

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 20, 2018

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 22, 2020

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 21, 2020

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 8157-3/1

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Hepatitis C, Chronic

Clinical Trials on HCV viremia testing approaches

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings