Laaser - HIV/AIDS

With 28 clinical sites in 11 countries, the LAASER network is still expanding, building capacity to investigate and address HIV drug resistance in Africa and Asia. Up to now, a total of 4300 patients have been enrolled in the monitoring studies: 75% of the cumulative enrolment targets for the period 2006-2010 (PASER 96% and TASER 50%). In Africa the enrolment was completed in 2009. The relatively low percentage of completion in Asia is mainly due to the difficulties of getting ethical or government clearance for the clinics participating in the program in some countries. In addition it remains difficult to identify eligible patients in the participating clinics. Despite continuous efforts of TreatAsia, both challenges are hard to resolve and will result in a lower number of patients in the program in Asia.
The delay in patient enrolment effects the time schedule for most of the aspects of the LAASER program, including the availability of resistance data. Per example, for the majority of patients enrolled in the TASER monitoring studies, the 24-months follow up visit will take place after the end of the current grant period, effecting the potential meta-analysis of African and Asian data. To keep the rates for 12-month and 24-month follow up visits as high as possible, several measures have been put in place in Africa and Asia.
A total of 359 patients is included in the surveillance arm in Africa and Asia. It remains difficult for clinical centres to identify newly-infected people, mostly because the surveillance activities fall outside their normal routine. For this reason, both TreatAsia and PharmAccess will not continue with the surveillance arm after 2010.
The second Free Space Process (FSP) Steering Group meeting was convened on 1-3 October 2009. At this meeting, the FSP Concept Note was finalized. The FSP partners (GNP+, ICW, ICASO, ITPC, IHAA/HDN, WAC and EAA) decided to invite the MSM global forum, INPUD and the NSWP to participate in the FSP partnership.
21 laboratories are participating in the HIVDR quality assurance scheme (TAQAS). Up to now 18 trainings have been organized to train clinical and laboratory staff on HIVDR related issues. Currently, the first joint scientific article from PASER and TASER is submitted.
All partners agreed that it is important to continue the LAASER activities after 2010. The most important results of this very innovative program are expected in the coming 2 to 5 years, and more time is needed to make the network activities sustainable. To achieve this and to harvest the investments of the first phase, continuation of funding is essential. For this reason an application for funding for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign affairs (MFS II 2011-2015) is in progress.

Table: Status of activities within LAASER program, cumulative numbers from 2006,
report date 1 January 2010.