The Microbicide Trials Network (MTN) is an HIV/AIDS clinical trials network established in 2006 by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), with co-funding from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Institute of Mental Health, all part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The MTN brings together international investigators and community and industry partners whose work is focused on the rigorous evaluation of promising microbicides – products applied inside the vagina or rectum intended to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV, and dual-purpose products for preventing both HIV and unintended pregnancy. Whether it be a small Phase I study testing a product’s safety and acceptability or a large Phase III efficacy trial, each and every MTN study is designed to collect the kind of information regulatory agencies require for determining whether to approve a product for widespread use. The need for HIV prevention products has never been more urgent. In 2018 alone, nearly 2 million people acquired HIV – about 5,000 new infections per day.

More than 25 clinical research sites on four continents have partnered with the MTN in the conduct of its clinical trials involving populations especially vulnerable to HIV, including young women and adolescent girls, pregnant and breastfeeding women, men who have sex with men and transgender individuals. Current MTN trials are focused on intravaginal rings, including rings being developed to prevent both HIV and unintended pregnancy, and on products for use as rectal microbicides. MTN has been at the forefront of advancing a scientific agenda that recognizes the unmet need for products for use by both men and women who are at risk of acquiring HIV through anal sex. Through its studies involving pregnant and breastfeeding women, the MTN has been both a pioneer and champion in this important area of investigation as well. Pregnant and breastfeeding women are typically excluded from participation in clinical trials, yet they represent one of the most vulnerable populations for acquiring HIV.

More information can be found at www.mtnstopshiv.org.

Current Studies

See the MTN’s Studies page for information on latest projects and studies.

Members

Members of the MTN

The operational structure of the MTN consists of three key organizational units: a Leadership and Operations Center (LOC), a Laboratory Center (LC) and a Statistical and Data Management Center (SDMC). Dr. Hillier and MTN co-principal investigator, Jared M. Baeten, MD, PhD, of the University of Washington, direct the activities of the LOC in Pittsburgh while Lisa Rohan, PhD, and John Mellors, MD, serve as principal investigators of the LC also based at the University of Pittsburgh and MWRI. The SDMC, under the direction of SDMC principal investigator Elizabeth Brown, ScD, is housed within the Statistical Center for HIV/AIDS Research & Prevention (SCHARP) at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Additional Resources

• MTN Manual of Operational Procedures
• MTN News Room
• DAIDS homepage

Contact

Principal Investigator / Microbicide Trials Network
Sharon Hillier, PhD,

204 Craft Avenue, B511 Pittsburgh, PA 15213
P: 412-641-6435
F: 412-641-1133
E: shillier@mail.magee.edu