Last Update: 08/22/2006 Printer Friendly Printer Friendly   Email This Page Email This Page  

Adolescent Medicine Trials Network (ATN) for HIV/AIDS Interventions

Adolescent Medicine Trials Network (ATN) for HIV/AIDS InterventionsThe ATN was created following the recommendation of the Adolescent Medicine HIV/AIDS Research Network external scientific advisory panel that there existed a need for interventional studies in adolescents. The ATN is a national, multicenter research network, started by the Pediatric, Adolescent, and Maternal AIDS Branch in 2001, to conduct both independent and collaborative research, with co-funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, through a cooperative agreement mechanism.

The primary mission of the ATN is to conduct research, both independently and in collaboration, with existing research networks to explore promising behavioral, microbicidal, prophylactic, therapeutic, and vaccine modalities in HIV-infected and HIV at-risk adolescents, age 12 through 24. The ATN collaboration with the Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group and the HIV Vaccine Trials Network collaboration has successfully yielded a Phase I/II template for HIV vaccine trials in uninfected, at-risk adolescents that will be used once an appropriate HIV vaccine becomes available for evaluation.

ATN activities encompass the full spectrum of research needs for youth: from primary prevention, including HIV preventive vaccine trials, when available, for HIV at-risk youth in the community, to clinical management of HIV-infected youth, including novel regimens, drug adherence, and risk reduction. The ATN includes a leadership group that is responsible for defining and developing the research agenda; a data and operations center; and 15 clinical sites across the United States and Puerto Rico.

For more information, visit http://www.atnonline.org/.