PrEP IMPACT Trial announcement – statement from PrEPster and iwantPrEPnow

Thursday 3 August 2017

Community PrEP advocates from PrEPster and iwantPrEPnow welcomed today’s announcement by NHS England of the launch of the PrEP IMPACT trial.

The IMPACT trial will provide PrEP to 10,000 people in England, with the first clinics in London, Brighton, Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield expected to start enrolling participants into the trial next month. NHS England has announced that the drugs for the trial have been procured and ethics approval for the trial is expected within days.

Greg Owen, co-founder of IWPN said, “Today marks the next key step in full availability of PrEP on the NHS in England for people who need it. We eagerly wait for the first clinic to start enrollment on the trial, and then full roll out across the nation. Today’s announcement is testimony to the activism of individuals and organisations across the country, including those involved in the United4PrEP coalition.”

Marc Thompson, co-founder of PrEPster said: “PrEPster has joined other advocates in calling for action to ensure that this is a diverse trial. Recruitment to the trial must include African communities, women at risk of HIV, trans people, sex workers and Black gay and bisexual men. We will work alongside other organisations to ensure that these key groups know about PrEP and how to access the trial.”

Dr Will Nutland, co-founder of PrEPster said, “We will continue to monitor enrolment to the trial and continue to push NHS England to move to full provision of PrEP at the point that the trial becomes full. Given the international evidence around PrEP’s efficacy it is unacceptable for anyone who is eligible for PrEP not to get it.”

Further information about the IMPACT trial is available from www.prepster.info/impact

For interviews contact: hello@prepster.info; iwantprepnow.co.uk@gmail.com

@teamprepster @iwantprepnow