TRT-5’s partners

At the same time, TRT-5 developed relationships, and even true partnerships, with different key authorities in the HIV field.

The French National AIDS Research Agency (ANRS) is truly the first historical partner of TRT-5. Since 1990, the ANRS has organized monthly informative meetings on current or upcoming studies, especially targeted for organizations. In 2005, TRT-5 still regularly meets with the ANRS director to share views on the studies and scientific strategies of the French agency. TRT-5 is also represented in several ”Joint Actions“ (working groups that evaluate the interest of the research projects presented to the ANRS), notably within the Joint Action on ”HIV clinical trials“ and ”vaccine trials“. In addition, all ANRS research protocols are first reviewed by TRT-5, in the presence of the principal investigator, before they are passed on to the public protection committee.

With the French drug agency, which in 1998 became the French Health Security Agency for Medical Products (Afssaps), TRT-5 works together in order to make sure that early access to drugs through the ATU program (French for Temporary Use Approval) is working well, to follow up on drugs’ registration process, and pharmacovigilance of approved products.

TRT-5 has also developed contacts with the French Authorities, particularly with the General Health Administration and the Hospital and Organized Care Administration, two Departments of the Health Ministry. Recently, the group was asked by the General Health Administration to work on the revision of the August 2004 law regulating bio-medical research in France (Huriet-Sérusclat law), which implements the European Directive on clinical trials and is integrated in the French Law on Public Health. During the last few months, the group has also been putting constant pressure on the General Health Administration in order for them to allow all people living with HIV in France to have free access to a series of services and products that are essential to a comprehensive medical care package (access to products to fill in ”hollow cheeks“, to DEXA tests, to therapeutic drug monitoring, etc.).

Recently, TRT-5 has also been working together with the Hospital and Organized Care Administration on reforming their information and human immune deficiency care centers.

On several occasions and over different subjects, TRT-5 has addressed the French National Council on AIDS, a body whose duty is to give advice on ethics over questions related to HIV infection.

And finally, several members of TRT-5 participate in the work run by the European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG).