Development of Ingestible Biosensors to Enhance PrEP Adherence in Substance Users (PrEPSteps) (PrEPSteps)
![]() |
The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Know the risks and potential benefits of clinical studies and talk to your health care provider before participating. Read our disclaimer for details. |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03512418 |
Recruitment Status :
Recruiting
First Posted : April 30, 2018
Last Update Posted : April 28, 2020
|
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
HIV Infections Substance Use Disorders Stimulant Use | Behavioral: PrEPsteps Device: Digital pill Drug: Truvada | Phase 3 |
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Estimated Enrollment : | 60 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Intervention Model Description: | Pilot randomized controlled trial |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Prevention |
Official Title: | Development of Ingestible Biosensors to Enhance PrEP Adherence in Substance Users (PrEPSteps) |
Actual Study Start Date : | January 24, 2020 |
Estimated Primary Completion Date : | May 1, 2022 |
Estimated Study Completion Date : | May 1, 2023 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Experimental: PrEPsteps
Participants receive the PrEPsteps intervention that is programmed at the randomization study visit. They will use PrEPsteps and the digital pill to measure Truvada adherence for month 1, then they will revert to digital pill alone with Truvada for month 2 and 3.
|
Behavioral: PrEPsteps
Smartphone-based adherence intervention based in 1) LifeSteps, 2) Contingent Reinforcement/Corrective Feedback, and 3) Screening Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) Device: Digital pill The digital pill comprises a standard gelatin capsule with an integrated radiofrequency emitter that overencapsulates the desired medication (Truvada). When participants ingest the digital pill, the chloride ion gradient in the stomach activates the radiofrequency emitter which transmits direct evidence of medication ingestion to a wearable reader which relays this data to the participant's smartphone and cloud server. Drug: Truvada Participants receive once daily Truvada as PrEP to prevent HIV |
Active Comparator: Control
Participants receive digital pills with Truvada to measure PrEP adherence at the randomization study visit and continue with digital pills with Truvada for month 2 and 3.
|
Device: Digital pill
The digital pill comprises a standard gelatin capsule with an integrated radiofrequency emitter that overencapsulates the desired medication (Truvada). When participants ingest the digital pill, the chloride ion gradient in the stomach activates the radiofrequency emitter which transmits direct evidence of medication ingestion to a wearable reader which relays this data to the participant's smartphone and cloud server. Drug: Truvada Participants receive once daily Truvada as PrEP to prevent HIV |
- Acceptability of the adherence intervention based on qualitative and quantitive questionnaire [ Time Frame: three month study visit ]Acceptability as determined by the mean score of the following questions during study visits (graded on a 1-10 scale): "How satisfied were you with PrEPsteps? How likely are you to recommend PrEPsteps to someone who needs PrEP? How likely are you to recommend PrEPsteps to someone who needs PrEP and uses stimulants?
- Feasibility of the adherence intervention qualitative and quantitive questionnaire [ Time Frame: three month study visit ]Feasibility of PrEPstesps as determined by the mean number of times intervention was accessed by each study participant during the trial
- Potential of PrEPsteps to improve adherence [ Time Frame: one/two/three month study visits ]Comparison of adherence rate in PrEPsteps group versus control
- Acceptability of the digital pill [ Time Frame: three month visit ]Acceptance of digital pills to monitor PrEP adherence through qualitative interviews
- Accuracy of digital pill compared to pill counts and dried blood spot for adherence [ Time Frame: one and three month study visits ]Accuracy of digital pill in measuring PrEP adherence as compared to dried blood spot testing for tenofovir diphosphate

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | Male |
Gender Based Eligibility: | Yes |
Gender Eligibility Description: | cis-gender men who have sex with men (MSM) |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- MSM with problematic stimulant use
- HIV negative
- On PrEP or initiating PrEP
- > 18 years old
Exclusion Criteria:
- Non-english speaker
- HIV positive
- Not initiating or does not qualify for PrEP
- History of bowel surgery, gastric bypass or bowel strictures
- History of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis
- Unwilling to ingest a digital pill

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT03512418
Contact: Peter R Chai, MD, MMS | 6177325640 | pchai@bwh.harvard.edu | |
Contact: Samantha Marquez, LCSW | 617.927.6465 | smarquez@fenwayhealth.org |
United States, Massachusetts | |
Fenway Health | Recruiting |
Boylston, Massachusetts, United States, 02215 | |
Contact: Peter R Chai, MD, MMS 617-732-5640 pchai@bwh.harvard.edu | |
Contact: Samantha Marquez, LCSW 617-927-6465 smarquez@fenwayhealth.org |
Principal Investigator: | Peter R Chai, MD, MMS | Brigham and Women's Hospital |
Responsible Party: | Peter Chai, Adjunct Faculty, Fenway Community Health |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT03512418 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
1162312 |
First Posted: | April 30, 2018 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | April 28, 2020 |
Last Verified: | April 2020 |
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement: | |
Plan to Share IPD: | Undecided |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: | Yes |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: | Yes |
Device Product Not Approved or Cleared by U.S. FDA: | Yes |
Product Manufactured in and Exported from the U.S.: | No |
HIV prevention Pre-exposure prophylaxis Digital Pill Substance use disorder Stimulant use |
Substance-Related Disorders Chemically-Induced Disorders Mental Disorders Emtricitabine, Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Drug Combination Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors |
Enzyme Inhibitors Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action Anti-Retroviral Agents Antiviral Agents Anti-Infective Agents Anti-HIV Agents |