Why START? Reflections that led to the conduct of this large long-term strategic HIV trial

INSIGHT Strategic Timing of AntiRetroviral Treatment (START) Study Group, Jens Lundgren, Abdel Babiker, Fred Gordin, Sean Emery, Gerd Fätkenheuer, Jean-Michel Molina, Robin Wood, James D Neaton

No abstract available

Keywords: CD4-guided ART; HIV; START trial; antiretroviral therapy; when to start.

Figures

Figure 1. The design of the START trial

Legend: ART-naïve (i.e, persons not previously using antiretroviral therapy [ART]) HIV-positive persons with normal immune function (i.e., a CD4 cell count above 500 cells/μL) are randomly allocated to start ART immediately or until the CD4 count has further decreased to levels below which the person starts to become at risk of contracting opportunistic diseases (i.e., AIDS) if left untreated; if AIDS develops when the CD4 count is still above 350 cells/μL then ART should also be initiated.