2024
A qualitative dyad analysis of barriers and facilitators of antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence among people who inject drugs (PWID) with HIV in Kazakhstan
Neuenschwander P, Altice F, Remien R, Mergenova G, Sarsembayeva L, Rozental E, Gulyayev V, Davis A. A qualitative dyad analysis of barriers and facilitators of antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence among people who inject drugs (PWID) with HIV in Kazakhstan. AIDS Care 2024, ahead-of-print: 1-10. PMID: 39404196, DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2024.2414078.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAntiretroviral therapy adherenceSocial supportART adherenceFacilitators of ART adherenceBarriers to ART adherenceAntiretroviral therapyART adherence interventionsInjection drug useDyad analysisAdherence interventionsAdherence barriersLack of awarenessHIV epidemicAdherencePWIDDrug useHIVInterpersonal levelRelationship contextDyad membersFacilitationIndividual levelPWHDyadsIntimate partners
2023
Early disruptions to syringe services programs during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Nikitin B, Bromberg D, Pykalo I, Ivasiy R, Islam Z, Altice F. Early disruptions to syringe services programs during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Frontiers In Public Health 2023, 11: 1229057. PMID: 38074770, PMCID: PMC10702598, DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1229057.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSyringe service programsHIV prevention servicesHarm reduction servicesService programsWidespread HIV epidemicsSemi-structured interviewsIllicit drug usePreventive servicesHIV/AIDS preventionOutreach workersHIV epidemicReduction servicesClients transitionClient’s opennessHIV outbreakService provisionUnique clientsDrug useInterviewsPWIDHarmServicesNGO supportClientsInjection paraphernaliaModelling the impact and cost‐effectiveness of non‐governmental organizations on HIV and HCV transmission among people who inject drugs in Ukraine
Stone J, Trickey A, Walker J, Bivegete S, Semchuk N, Sazonova Y, Varetska O, Altice F, Saliuk T, Vickerman P. Modelling the impact and cost‐effectiveness of non‐governmental organizations on HIV and HCV transmission among people who inject drugs in Ukraine. Journal Of The International AIDS Society 2023, 26: e26073. PMID: 37012669, PMCID: PMC10070931, DOI: 10.1002/jia2.26073.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAntiretroviral therapyHepatitis C virusHCV incidenceHCV infectionHIV/HCV testingHIV/HCV infectionHCV transmission modelNeedles/syringesHCV testingHCV eliminationHCV transmissionAgonist treatmentC virusNew HIVHigh prevalencePWIDHIVCondom useSubstantial detrimental impactInfectionIncidencePreventative impactDrugsCoverage levelsDALYs
2022
Using nominal group technique to identify barriers and facilitators to preventing HIV using combination same-day pre-exposure prophylaxis and medications for opioid use disorder
Eger WH, Altice FL, Lee J, Vlahov D, Khati A, Osborne S, Wickersham JA, Bohonnon T, Powell L, Shrestha R. Using nominal group technique to identify barriers and facilitators to preventing HIV using combination same-day pre-exposure prophylaxis and medications for opioid use disorder. Harm Reduction Journal 2022, 19: 120. PMID: 36307817, PMCID: PMC9616614, DOI: 10.1186/s12954-022-00703-8.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSame-day prescriptionPre-exposure prophylaxisOpioid use disorderHIV transmissionUse disordersClinical stakeholdersAvailability of providersSystems of careHealth care systemCoordinated careNew practice modelClinical careMedicationsPharmacy deliveryMOUDNominal group techniqueLocal prescribersPWIDSexual riskPrEPCare systemHealth benefitsCareMultiple visitsProphylaxisImplementation of a Dyad-Based Intervention to Improve Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence Among HIV-Positive People Who Inject Drugs in Kazakhstan: A Randomized Trial
Davis A, Mergenova G, Landers S, Sun Y, Rozental E, Gulyaev V, Gulyaev P, Nurkatova M, Terlikbayeva A, Primbetova S, Altice F, Remien R. Implementation of a Dyad-Based Intervention to Improve Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence Among HIV-Positive People Who Inject Drugs in Kazakhstan: A Randomized Trial. Research On Social Work Practice 2022, 33: 313-324. PMID: 37576461, PMCID: PMC10421639, DOI: 10.1177/10497315221117543.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchHIV-positive PWIDAntiretroviral therapy adherenceHIV-positive peopleTherapy adherenceART adherence interventionsStandard of careSupport partnersART adherenceAdherence interventionsIntervention deliveryPWIDTraining of staffInterventionTrialsAdherenceCouple interventionsSocial supportFamily membersDrugsIntimate partnersRemote deliveryCollection of assessmentsImplementation strategiesDeliveryAdapted version
2021
Treatment of Hepatitis C virus among people who inject drugs at a syringe service program during the COVID-19 response: The potential role of telehealth, medications for opioid use disorder and minimal demands on patients
Sivakumar A, Madden L, DiDomizio E, Eller A, Villanueva M, Altice FL. Treatment of Hepatitis C virus among people who inject drugs at a syringe service program during the COVID-19 response: The potential role of telehealth, medications for opioid use disorder and minimal demands on patients. International Journal Of Drug Policy 2021, 101: 103570. PMID: 34954493, PMCID: PMC8685180, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103570.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOpioid use disorderHepatitis C virusSyringe services programDifferentiated care modelPerson visitsC virusCare modelUse disordersInitiation of DAAChronic HCV infectionEvidence-based treatmentsCOVID-19Initial phlebotomyVirological responseHCV infectionHCV treatmentAdditional patientsElevated riskPatientsClient-centred approachPWIDHIVPerson contactTreatment demandLaboratory screeningCosts and impact on HIV transmission of a switch from a criminalisation to a public health approach to injecting drug use in eastern Europe and central Asia: a modelling analysis
Ward Z, Stone J, Bishop C, Ivakin V, Eritsyan K, Deryabina A, Low A, Cepeda J, Kelly SL, Heimer R, Cook R, Altice FL, Litz T, Terlikbayeva A, El-Bassel N, Havarkov D, Fisenka A, Boshnakova A, Klepikov A, Saliuk T, Deshko T, Vickerman P. Costs and impact on HIV transmission of a switch from a criminalisation to a public health approach to injecting drug use in eastern Europe and central Asia: a modelling analysis. The Lancet HIV 2021, 9: e42-e53. PMID: 34895484, PMCID: PMC8762142, DOI: 10.1016/s2352-3018(21)00274-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOpioid agonist therapyAgonist therapyAntiretroviral therapyPublic health approachHIV transmissionDrug useDynamic HIV transmission modelHealth approachIncremental cost-effectiveness ratioHIV transmission modelNational InstituteCost-effectiveness ratioCountry-specific costsHIV incidenceUNAIDS 90US National InstitutesART coverageWHO targetPWIDTherapyPay thresholdsInfectious diseasesCost savingsDrug abuseIncremental costAcceptability of an mHealth App That Provides Harm Reduction Services Among People Who Inject Drugs: Survey Study
Shelby T, Zhou X, Barber D, Altice F. Acceptability of an mHealth App That Provides Harm Reduction Services Among People Who Inject Drugs: Survey Study. Journal Of Medical Internet Research 2021, 23: e25428. PMID: 34259640, PMCID: PMC8319773, DOI: 10.2196/25428.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSyringe services programHarm reduction servicesReduction servicesSecondary outcomesMHealth appsParticipant characteristicsHarm reduction needsHome deliveryMost participantsRespondent-driven samplingPrimary outcomeSuboptimal accessIndependent correlatesMedical recordsDrug injectionMobile health appsPWIDSummary scoresMedication remindersSSP usePoisson regressionUnstable housingVulnerable populationsSyringe deliveryHealth appsPurposeful Fentanyl Use and Associated Factors among Opioid-Dependent People Who Inject Drugs
Chandra DK, Altice FL, Copenhaver MM, Zhou X, Didomizio E, Shrestha R. Purposeful Fentanyl Use and Associated Factors among Opioid-Dependent People Who Inject Drugs. Substance Use & Misuse 2021, 56: 979-987. PMID: 33769199, DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2021.1901931.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOpioid-dependent PWIDFentanyl useOpioid-dependent peopleIndependent correlatesSevere depressionSex-related risk behaviorsMethadone-maintained patientsMultivariable logistic regressionOpioid-related mortalityRecent cocaine useCross-sectional surveySelf-reported drugMethadone dosageYoung PWIDDaily injectionsMethadone clinicsAssociated FactorsFentanyl exposureHigh prevalencePWIDSynthetic opioidsCocaine useYounger ageRisk behaviorsLogistic regressionUse of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Among People Who Inject Drugs: Exploratory Findings of the Interaction Between Race, Homelessness, and Trust
Zhou X, Altice FL, Chandra D, Didomizio E, Copenhaver MM, Shrestha R. Use of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Among People Who Inject Drugs: Exploratory Findings of the Interaction Between Race, Homelessness, and Trust. AIDS And Behavior 2021, 25: 3743-3753. PMID: 33751313, DOI: 10.1007/s10461-021-03227-7.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPre-exposure prophylaxisPrEP useProvider trustPatient-level factorsOpioid-dependent patientsLogistic regression analysisNon-homeless participantsHomeless participantsRace/ethnicityEligibility criteriaCross-sectional dataPrEPProphylaxisMethadoneRegression analysisDrugsExploratory findingsParticipantsPotential moderatorsPWIDPatientsSignificant moderator
2020
Modeling Combination Hepatitis C Virus Treatment and Prevention Strategies in a Network of People Who Inject Drugs in the United States
Zelenev A, Li J, Shea P, Hecht R, Altice FL. Modeling Combination Hepatitis C Virus Treatment and Prevention Strategies in a Network of People Who Inject Drugs in the United States. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2020, 72: 755-763. PMID: 32060534, PMCID: PMC7935393, DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa142.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOpioid agonist therapySyringe services programHepatitis C virus (HCV) treatmentC virus treatmentHCV prevalenceHCV microeliminationHCV TasPHCV treatmentPrevention strategiesVirus treatmentTasP strategyHigh HCV prevalenceMicroelimination of HCVHuman immunodeficiency virusHCV treatment coverageOAT coverageAgonist therapyImmunodeficiency virusTreatment coverageMicroeliminationPrevention impactPrevalenceComplimentary interventionsHCVPWID
2019
Effect of expanding opioid agonist therapies on the HIV epidemic and mortality in Ukraine: a modelling study
Tan J, Altice FL, Madden LM, Zelenev A. Effect of expanding opioid agonist therapies on the HIV epidemic and mortality in Ukraine: a modelling study. The Lancet HIV 2019, 7: e121-e128. PMID: 31879250, PMCID: PMC7289179, DOI: 10.1016/s2352-3018(19)30373-x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOpioid agonist therapyNew HIV infectionsHigh HIV burdenHIV infectionMinistry of HealthOAT coverageAgonist therapyHIV burdenHIV incidenceBuprenorphine maintenance therapyPublic Health CenterMaintenance therapyHIV outcomesHIV prevalenceHIV transmissionMedication procurementHIV epidemicHealth centersHIV preventionTreatment goalsPWIDOAT expansionDisease controlSexual riskInfectionStaying hepatitis C negative: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of cure and reinfection in people who inject drugs
Latham NH, Doyle JS, Palmer AY, Vanhommerig JW, Agius P, Goutzamanis S, Li Z, Pedrana A, Gottfredsson M, Bouscaillou J, Luhmann N, Mazhnaya A, Altice FL, Saeed S, Klein M, Falade‐Nwulia O, Aspinall E, Hutchinson S, Hellard ME, Sacks‐Davis R. Staying hepatitis C negative: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of cure and reinfection in people who inject drugs. Liver International 2019, 39: 2244-2260. PMID: 31125496, DOI: 10.1111/liv.14152.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSustained viral responseDirect-acting antiviralsRecent PWIDOST recipientsTreatment discontinuationPerson yearsReinfection rateRelative riskTreatment outcomesSystematic reviewIncidence of reinfectionTreatment discontinuation ratesPooled relative riskHepatitis C treatmentNewcastle-Ottawa ScaleMixed effects linear modelTherapy recipientsDiscontinuation ratesHepatitis C.Pooled incidenceViral responseCure rateRecent injectingStudy qualityPWID
2018
Estimating HIV and HCV prevalence among people who inject drugs in 5 Ukrainian cities using stratification-based respondent driven and random sampling
Zelenev A, Shea P, Mazhnaya A, Meteliuk A, Pykalo I, Marcus R, Fomenko T, Prokhorova T, Altice FL. Estimating HIV and HCV prevalence among people who inject drugs in 5 Ukrainian cities using stratification-based respondent driven and random sampling. International Journal Of Drug Policy 2018, 67: 91-101. PMID: 30503695, PMCID: PMC6537868, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2018.09.010.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsHCV prevalenceHIV prevalenceHCV prevalence estimatesHigh HCV prevalencePrevalence of HIVCross-sectional studyLow-resource settingsInverse probability weightsHCV antibodiesHCV infectionTreatment strategiesHIVTreatment prioritiesPrevalence estimatesHealth outcomesBetter preventionPrevalenceLocal epidemicsHCVPWIDOverall sampleSelection biasPreventionProbability weightsRegular basisOpioid Agonist Treatment and Improved Outcomes at Each Stage of the HIV Treatment Cascade in People Who Inject Drugs in Ukraine
Mazhnaya A, Marcus R, Bojko MJ, Zelenev A, Makarenko I, Pykalo I, Filippovych S, Dvoriak S, Altice FL. Opioid Agonist Treatment and Improved Outcomes at Each Stage of the HIV Treatment Cascade in People Who Inject Drugs in Ukraine. JAIDS Journal Of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 2018, 79: 288-295. PMID: 30312275, PMCID: PMC8215524, DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000001827.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOpioid agonist treatmentHIV treatment cascadeTreatment cascadeAgonist treatmentIndependent factorsHepatitis C virus testingOpioid-dependent PWIDOpioid use disorderClinical care settingsLogistic regression modelsOAT coverageAntiretroviral therapyHIV careUNAIDS 90HIV preventionImproved outcomesTreatment strategiesCare settingsVirus testingNationwide studyPWIDUse disordersOAT expansionHIVCareHepatitis C virus status awareness and test results confirmation among people who inject drugs in Ukraine
Iakunchykova O, Meteliuk A, Zelenev A, Mazhnaya A, Tracy M, Altice FL. Hepatitis C virus status awareness and test results confirmation among people who inject drugs in Ukraine. International Journal Of Drug Policy 2018, 57: 11-17. PMID: 29655101, PMCID: PMC5994183, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2018.03.022.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAnti-HCV testIndependent correlatesHCV testingPositive statusAnti-HCV positive statusAnti-HCV positivityHCV treatment cascadeHCV-positive statusOpioid-dependent PWIDRegular HCV testingHIV-negative participantsPositive test resultsChronic HCVHCV prevalenceStatus awarenessHCV infectionHCV preventionTreatment cascadeTreatment strategiesTreatment utilizationNegative participantsPWIDTreatment experienceHCVConfirmatory testingA qualitative assessment of attitudes about and preferences for extended-release naltrexone, a new pharmacotherapy to treat opioid use disorders in Ukraine
Marcus R, Bojko MJ, Mazhnaya A, Makarenko I, Filippovych S, Dvoriak S, Altice FL, Springer SA. A qualitative assessment of attitudes about and preferences for extended-release naltrexone, a new pharmacotherapy to treat opioid use disorders in Ukraine. Journal Of Substance Use And Addiction Treatment 2018, 86: 86-93. PMID: 29415856, PMCID: PMC5808584, DOI: 10.1016/j.jsat.2018.01.003.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOpioid agonist therapyXR-NTXExtended-release naltrexonePsychological supportOpioid use disorderHIV prevention effortsFocus groupsPerceptions of recoveryAgonist therapyOpioid withdrawalYoung PWIDOpioid antagonistPatient preferencesNew pharmacotherapiesPsychoactive medicationsInjection careerUse disordersFocus group transcriptsPWIDPrevention effortsNaltrexoneGroup transcriptsIndividual barriersTreatmentWithdrawal
2017
Why People Who Inject Drugs Voluntarily Transition Off Methadone in Ukraine
Rozanova J, Marcus R, Taxman FS, Bojko MJ, Madden L, Farnum SO, Mazhnaya A, Dvoriak S, Altice FL. Why People Who Inject Drugs Voluntarily Transition Off Methadone in Ukraine. Qualitative Health Research 2017, 27: 2057-2070. PMID: 28942704, DOI: 10.1177/1049732317732307.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchHIV Testing and awareness of HIV status among people who inject drugs in greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Bazazi AR, Vijay A, Crawford FW, Heimer R, Kamarulzaman A, Altice FL. HIV Testing and awareness of HIV status among people who inject drugs in greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. AIDS Care 2017, 30: 59-64. PMID: 28803503, PMCID: PMC5699941, DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2017.1363852.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsHIV testingCompulsory drug detention centersHIV statusCorrelates of testingHIV-positive PWIDHIV testing servicesHigh-risk populationHIV testing policiesRecent criminal justice involvementRespondent-driven samplingMost PWIDHIV treatmentHIV epidemicVoluntary testingCriminal justice involvementPWIDHIVTesting recommendationsKuala LumpurTesting behaviorMandatory testingPrimary locationGreater Kuala LumpurMain correlatesTesting servicesPatient preferences and extended-release naltrexone: A new opportunity to treat opioid use disorders in Ukraine
Marcus R, Makarenko I, Mazhnaya A, Zelenev A, Polonsky M, Madden L, Filippovych S, Dvoriak S, Springer SA, Altice FL. Patient preferences and extended-release naltrexone: A new opportunity to treat opioid use disorders in Ukraine. Drug And Alcohol Dependence 2017, 179: 213-219. PMID: 28806638, PMCID: PMC5599372, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.07.010.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOpioid agonist therapyOpioid use disorderExtended-release naltrexoneXR-NTXHIV preventionIndependent correlatesPatient preferencesUse disordersShort-term injectorsPatient-centered treatmentAgonist therapyPharmacological therapyHIV incidenceTreatment optionsPWIDTreatment entryAddiction treatmentPreventionNaltrexoneShort durationTherapyNegative attitudesDisordersNew optionsTreatment