HIV-NAT

The HIV-NAT project, the HIV Netherlands, Australia, Thailand AIDS research collaboration, was implemented by The AIDS Research Centre of the Thai Red Cross Society (TRCARC), International Antiviral Therapy Evaluation Centre (IATEC) and the Australian National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research (NCHECR).

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Starting expenses, core infrastructure (office and laboratory), and salaries of some research staff members where funded by TRCS, ITEC, and NCHECR. Expenses for the studies performed (including the majority of research staff salaries, research drugs, and laboratory assays) and presentation of the results at meeting were funded by the sponsors of the studies, ranging from pharmaceutical companies to the AIDS Division of the Thai Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) and the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Additional training of HIV-NAT staff was funded by NCHECR, IATEC, and sponsors of the studies. (e.g., the World Health Organization, Thai MOPH and pharmaceutical companies)

Primary objectives

To establish a multi-centre HIV clinical research organization in Thailand that functions according to internationally accepted Good Clinical and Laboratory guidelines To conduct clinical intervention studies (and potentially vaccine studies) that will yield answers to locally and regionally relevant research questions To convince international pharmaceutical companies and other potential sponsors that scientifically and ethically sound HIV clinical studies can be conducted in Thailand, and that they should invest in such research in Thailand To make drugs available to study participants To strengthen the HIV research infrastructure and regular HIV care infrastructure To provide health care workers with valuable experience with newly available treatments

Secondary objectives

To serve as a training centre in the practical, ethical, and scientific aspects of HIV care, and in particular of HIV clinical trials, for staff from government and university hospitals and other related organizations in Thailand and the region.