On September 18 and 19, ScienHub Education organized in Barcelona the 8th edition of the HIV Clinical Topics Workshop, a meeting established as a European reference in clinical training on HIV that brought together nearly 100 specialists. Unlike other conferences, this event focuses exclusively on clinical updates, designed for physicians who treat patients with HIV.

In an interview with Josep Maria Llibre, coordinator of the activity, he highlighted the elements that make the meeting unique:“It is the only meeting in Europe dedicated to clinical updates on HIV. Other meetings combine clinical epidemiology and basic science. Here, we wanted to focus solely on clinical aspects, over two days.”

The Workshop combines sessions on antiretroviral treatment with metabolic aspects and comorbidities, such as weight gain, liver disease, and cardiovascular risk. It also includes practical clinical cases and small groups of attendees to encourage interaction and discussion. Llibre adds: “We divide all participants into two groups so that attendance is smaller and everyone can interact. The only thing we want is for people to interact, and it’s not easy because English is not the native language of many of them.”

The Workshop continues to be an essential meeting point for HIV professionals, offering up-to-date, practical clinical training and reinforcing their commitment to excellence in patient care.

Spain has consolidated its position as the European country with the highest number of clinical trials initiated, surpassing Germany in 2023. This leadership is driven by the sustained growth of research and development (R&D) and by collaboration between industry, hospitals, universities, and both public and private centers. The Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS) authorized 930 new drug studies in 2024, and Spain coordinated 28% of multinational studies approved in Europe. Pharmaceutical companies established in the country are behind eight out of every ten trials, and for many multinationals, Spain is the main destination for studies outside the United States.

Clinical Trials Managed by ScienHub

The Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) at ScienHub is a specialized unit for conducting phase I, II, III, and IV clinical trials, as well as research projects, cohorts, and observational studies. In 2024, ScienHub managed more than 60 clinical studies (including 3 phase I and 8 phase II trials) in areas such as vaccines, dermatology, nephrology, urology, global health, and infectious diseases. The multidisciplinary team at ScienHub carried out more than 6,900 participant visits and processed over 1,600 biological samples, while maintaining a high level of sponsor satisfaction (4.84/5).

ScienHub remains committed to excellence, quality, and innovation in clinical research, supporting the scientific community throughout every stage of the process and ensuring the protection of participants’ rights and well-being.

Anna Castells Nobau has been awarded the Best Abstract Award at the international conference The Barcelona Debates on the Human Microbiome, thanks to her innovative research titled “Microviridae bacteriophages influence behavioural hallmarks of food addiction via tryptophan and tyrosine signalling pathways.”

Her study delves into the role of the gut microbiota in food addiction, a condition that affects approximately 16% of the general population and shares neurological mechanisms with substance abuse disorders. In her research, Castells identified a virus from the Microviridae bacteriophage family — harmless to humans but capable of infecting gut bacteria — as a key factor in altering brain circuits related to dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward.

“We observed that the presence of this bacteriophage altered neural pathways related to dopamine — the very ones that modulate addictive behaviours toward food. Moreover, when we transferred the microbiota from individuals with food addiction — which contained this virus — to healthy mice, those mice also developed food addiction behaviours,” she explained.

The research also identified a compound capable of blocking the effects of the bacteriophage, thereby preventing changes in the brain and offering a potential protective mechanism against food addiction.

This study provides a new perspective on the biological mechanisms involved in food addiction and opens the door to potential therapeutic strategies based on microbiota modulation.

We are proud to announce that ScienHub has been officially reclassified as a Critical Service Provider by Cardialysis. This recognition reflects the strength of our collaboration and the trust placed in our team’s expertise and commitment to excellence in clinical research. As part of this milestone, we have also updated our Master Service Agreement.

We are currently engaged in six active studies, and we remain fully dedicated to delivering high-quality results as Cardialysis’ trusted Spanish CRO partner.

We look forward to continuing this impactful partnership and contributing to the advancement of cardiovascular research.