In the news ... 2006 archive

SMART Sub-Study Closed

April 7, 2006

The executive committee of the SMART (Strategies for Management of Anti-Retroviral Therapy) study has announced the closure of the anal dysplasia sub-study. Dysplasia is the development of abnormal or pre-cancerous cells. The SMART study was designed to compare continuous anti-HIV drug therapy to intermittent anti-HIV drug therapy guided by a person’s CD4+ cell count. As reported here, the study stopped enrolling new participants when researchers noted that the people in the intermittent therapy group had a higher risk of disease progression and illness.

The anal dysplasia sub-study was designed to look at the rates—or incidence—of anal dysplasia between the two groups. With no more people being enrolled and the investigators recommending participants who had stopped taking anti-HIV therapy resume treatment, the researchers believed that their sub-study could not be completed. The larger SMART study will continue with modifications, and the researchers plan to use the data gathered to publish an article on the rate, or incidence of anal dysplasia in participants who enrolled in SMART.