Whoever is aware of the epidemiological situation in Europe, will know that there is an extremely high and increasing number of drug users affected by HIV. In order to reflect the importance to include drug users in the research and development of new agents, and test the existing ones in this particular population, the EATG recently created the ART4IDU Group within the European Community Advisory Board (ECAB), and adopted a position paper on clinical research and drug users.

Therefore, by issuing a specific position paper on clinical research and drug users the EATG demand pharmaceutical companies to undertake rigorous investigation of drug-drug interactions and other questions relevant to the clinical care of IDUs. What follows is the executive summary of the document.