Combined Injectable Treatment for HIV and OUD (CHOICE)

February 13, 2026 updated by: Josiah Rich, Rhode Island Hospital

Integrating Long-Acting Injectable Treatment to Improve Medication Adherence Among Persons Living With HIV and Opioid Use Disorder

This is study seeks to evaluate perspectives of a combined injectable treatment for HIV and OUD. Specifically, with the development of new long-acting medications such as cabotegravir co-administered with rilpivirine (CAB/RPV) and extended-release buprenorphine (XR-B) there is a need to better understand factors that influence the delivery and uptake of this type of treatment. The current study seeks to conduct a single-arm open pilot trial of a clinical protocol and implementation approach for the combined HIV/OUD LAI treatment. Participants will include patients receiving treatment at TMH IC (n=30) and clinic staff (n=5-10). Participants will complete a baseline survey, receive the combined LAI treatment, and complete follow-up assessments at 1-, 3-, and 6-months following initiation of injectable medication. Of the 40 participants, 25 will be purposefully selected to engage in qualitative interviews to assess the strengths and limitations of the clinical protocol and combined treatment as well as describe their reasons for LAI uptake or discontinuation.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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Withdrawn

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

Treatment services for HIV and OUD have historically been delivered across multiple settings leading to fragmented and uncoordinated care. Models of behavior change suggest that addressing multiple health conditions simultaneously through integrated, evidence-based, interventions has the potential to overcome traditional barriers to optimize engagement and improve clinical outcomes. Consistent with this perspective, numerous studies have documented that receipt of opioid agonist treatment, in the context of HIV care, is associated with ART adherence and decreased HIV viral loads. Recent pharmacological advancements have led to the development of novel long-acting, injectable, medications for HIV [cabotegravir co-administered with rilpivirine (CAB/RPV)] and OUD (extended-release buprenorphine). These therapies have the potential to dramatically improve adherence, lead to better control of both diseases, and reduce mortality rates for this vulnerable population. However, currently, little is known about 1) the perceived acceptability/feasibility of combining HIV and OUD treatment into a single point of care; and 2) how best to deliver integrated, monthly injectable, treatment for HIV and OUD to facilitate future implementation. The long-term goal of this line of research is to disseminate an efficacious, integrated, injectable treatment program for HIV and OUD. Through formative qualitative evaluation, our team developed the clinical protocol and implementation procedures for the combine HIV and OUD care using long-acting injectable therapies. As such, the present study is recruiting TMH IC patients (n=30) and clinical staff (n=5-10) for a single-arm open pilot trial of the clinical protocol to determine the effectiveness of implementation strategies for the combined LAI treatment. The investigators expect that, as a result of this project, the protocol will demonstrate high degrees of feasibility, acceptability, and uptake of long-acting injectable medications for HIV and OUD. This work will serve as the foundation for a future NIH Hybrid Type 1 Effectiveness-Implementation study.

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

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.
  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Rhode Island
      • Providence, Rhode Island, United States, 02903
        • Rhode Island Hospital

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 18-65 years of age
  • HIV-1 infection, documented by any licensed rapid HIV test or HIV enzyme or chemiluminescence immunoassay
  • Current diagnosis of OUD according to DSM-5
  • Able to understand and speak English and to provide written and verbal informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Currently pregnant, breastfeeding, planning to become pregnant or breastfeed during the study period
  • Coinfection of Hepatitis B or plans to get treated for Hepatitis C during the study period

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: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group 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: Preliminary Test of Combined LAI Treatment
The combined injectable treatment includes a dual-administration of rilpivirine (CAB/RPV) "cabenuva" for HIV and extended-release buprenorphine (XR-B) "sublocade" for OUD.
Drug: Combined LAI Treatment: Cabenuva and Sublocade
A preliminary test of the combined LAI treatment will be conducted with a total of 30 individuals diagnosed with HIV and OUD that meet all other study inclusion criteria. Treatment will take place primarily at TMH IC (n=30). Participants deemed fit for the study (per recommendation by TMH IC staff and subsequent medical chart review) will receive the combined LAI treatment (described below), and complete follow-up assessments at 1-, 3-, and 6-months following initiation of injectable medication. Of the 30 participants, 25 will be purposefully selected to engage in qualitative interviews to assess the strengths and limitations of the clinical protocol and combined treatment as well as describe their reasons for LAI uptake or discontinuation. We will also elicit feedback from clinic staff and other key stakeholders regarding the delivery of the clinical protocol and other implementation factors
Other Names:
  • rilpivirine (CAB/RPV) "cabenuva"
  • extended-release buprenorphine (XR-B) "sublocade"

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
Recruitment rates
Time Frame: 6 months
percent of patients interested in the treatment, patient eligibility rate, consent rate, rate of recruitment, percent of participants who initiate injectables, follow-up completion rate (through 6 months), and reasons for refusal
6 months
Acceptability
Time Frame: 6 months
study dropout rate (those who were lost to follow-up) and rate of discontinuation of injectables (those who decided to transition back to oral/sublingual regimen) as indices of
6 months
Feasibility/Acceptability
Time Frame: 6 months
Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-Revised: assess consumer satisfaction with health and human services including governmental and public benefit programs and services
6 months
Self-report of engagement in treatment
Time Frame: 6 months
Treatment Effectiveness Assessment : elicits patient responses that help the patient and the clinician quickly gauge patient progress in treatment and in recovery, according to the patients' sense of what is important within four domains -- substance use, health, lifestyle, community,
6 months
Feasibility/Acceptability
Time Frame: 6 months
Qualitative interviews to explore the acceptability and feasibility of the intervention format (e.g. processes and procedures, access to support services, tolerability of medication) and how the intervention could be strengthened, identifying areas needing refinement or improvement for future iterations.
6 months

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
Substance use
Time Frame: 6 months
National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC)
6 months
Substance use
Time Frame: 6 months
NIDA-modified ASSIST - tool to identify risky substance use
6 months
Substance use
Time Frame: 6 months
urine drug screens from the individual's electronic medical record
6 months
HIV Risk Behavior
Time Frame: 6 months
Texas Christian University (TCU) HIV/AIDS Risk Assessment: a measure of overall sex and drug risk behavior
6 months
Treatment services
Time Frame: 6 months
Treatment Services Review will be used to assess receipt of case management, psychiatric, peer recovery coaching, and other treatment services, including utilization of other medications for OUD (e.g., if a participant has transitioned to Methadone).
6 months
Overall Quality of life
Time Frame: 6 months
Q-LES-Q-SF, a psychometrically sound shorter version of the original Q-LES-Q. It consists of a self-reported 16-item questionnaire that has shown internal consistency, rest-retest reliability, and convergent and criterion validity (80% sensitivity, 100% specificity)
6 months

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.
Rhode Island Hospital

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.
  • Principal Investigator: Josiah D Rich, MD, Rhode Island Hospital

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.
April 1, 2022

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.
August 27, 2025

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.
February 13, 2026

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).
July 26, 2023

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.
August 7, 2023

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.
August 14, 2023

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.
February 18, 2026

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.
February 13, 2026

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.
December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

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.
  • 1R34DA055498 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

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.

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