News

This February, we co-organized, together with the Fight Infections Foundation, the second edition of the Revolution conference, coordinated by Drs. Boris Revollo and Arkaitz Imaz, which brought together experts to discuss the advances and challenges in the treatment and prevention of HIV. Among the speakers was Alejandro Gaviria, former Minister of Health of Colombia, who shared his experience on the democratization of access to treatments and the financial sustainability of healthcare systems in middle and low-income countries.

Alejandro Gaviria, who led the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Colombia for six years, highlighted the importance of ensuring equitable access to medications and managing technological pressure, a key challenge for health equity. He also emphasized the bioethical dilemmas he faced as a minister, stressing that many of the challenges in healthcare sustainability stem from decisions on treatment financing. For him, these debates should play a central role in public discussion.

The Fights Infections Foundation and PharmaMar have launched the Thalassa 2.0 trial to evaluate the efficacy of plitidepsin in patients with long COVID. ScienHub Research Support will oversee the study’s execution with patients from the Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, in collaboration with IrsiCaixa.

The phase II study will include 90 patients divided into three groups: one will receive plitidepsin in four cycles, another will receive two cycles of placebo followed by two of plitidepsin, and the third will receive only a placebo.

Primary objective: Assess health changes using the PROMIS-29® system.
Secondary objective: Analyze the safety and tolerability of plitidepsin.

This project strengthens ScienHub’s commitment to researching innovative treatments.

We are pleased to announce the launch of Soc Recerca, the ScienHub Research Support platform designed to recruit volunteers interested in participating in clinical trials. Its mission is to drive clinical medical research and contribute to the advancement of global health.

The importance of Soc Recerca lies in its ability to accelerate the recruitment of volunteers, a crucial factor for the success of clinical trials. The platform not only informs participants about the objectives of each study but also enables a more organized and efficient selection process, fostering more inclusive and participatory research.

The Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS) has published the Guide for the Implementation of Decentralized Elements in Clinical Trials. This document, created by a multidisciplinary group coordinated by the AEMPS, addresses the increasing use of digital tools in clinical trials. It also complements the European 2022 guide, tackling aspects that were open to interpretation depending on the legislation of each member state. Both guides aim to provide clear recommendations for procedures carried out outside trial centers, ensuring data reliability and facilitating regulatory decision-making.

Decentralized clinical trials (DCTs) bring studies closer to patients through technologies such as telemedicine, virtual recruitment, electronic consent, and mobile nursing. This model helps involve people facing barriers such as distance, limited mobility, or lack of availability to travel.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, ScienHub successfully implemented home-based CTUs, adapting to patients’ needs. We continue to offer these solutions today to ensure the continuity of trials.

The document will be officially presented during the first quarter of 2025 in a discussion held at the AEMPS headquarters. The event will also be available for streaming.

As part of the IMMUNOCORE study, led by Dr. Bea Mothe and Aroa Nieto as Study Coordinator at ScienHub Research Support, a sponsor audit has been carried out with very positive results. The audit committee highlighted the quality of the work carried out and congratulated the team for its excellent management and execution of the study.

IMMUNOCORE’s study is a phase I/II study evaluating the safety, pharmacokinetics and antiviral activity of a new treatment for patients with chronic HIV infection. Tasks performed by team members include trial coordination, performing protocol procedures, data entry, and participant follow-up.

These positive assessments reflect the solidity and quality of the work of the ScienHub Research Support CTU team, made up of more than 20 professionals highly specialized in the implementation of clinical studies.

Last September, the 7th edition of the HIV Clinical Topics took place, an annual flagship event that brings together international experts to share the latest updates on HIV treatment. This meeting, focused on advances in antiretroviral therapies and new drugs in development, once again featured the notable participation of Dr. Rajesh Gandhi, professor of medicine at Harvard University and Director of HIV Clinical Services at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Dr. Gandhi shared his vision on the future of HIV treatments, highlighting the development of long-acting therapies as the current major trend: “I believe we are currently moving towards long-acting treatments, some of which can be taken orally on a weekly basis, while others may be administered every six months via injection,” Gandhi explained. He also emphasized the importance of developing therapies that address HIV-associated comorbidities, such as cardiovascular or metabolic diseases, and stressed the need to increase resources for HIV care research. “Our hope is that in the future, we will not only be able to manage this infection more effectively, but also work towards its eradication,” he concluded.

On June 7th, healthcare professionals from the Northern Metropolitan region gathered at the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute to celebrate the 5th edition of the International Health and #OneHealth Conference.

Dr. Óscar Cabezón, a researcher from the conservation medicine research group (WildCoM) at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the UABFaculty of Veterinary Medicine of the UAB, emphasized the importance of understanding and controlling emerging infectious diseases transmitted by ticks to prevent contagious outbreaks.

From his research group, WildCoM, they study the ecology of these diseases from a holistic perspective, highlighting how human-caused environmental changes can influence the presence of a pathogen in the environment. Additionally, he pointed out that climate change, urbanization, and changes in human and animal habits have contributed to the increase in tick-borne diseases, and that more efforts are needed to better understand tick populations and the pathogens they can transmit.

The CTU unit from ScienHub Research Support presented two posters at the XXI National Congress on AIDS and STIs, organized by SEISIDA. The congress focused on the theme “The Ages of HIV,” addressing various perspectives and challenges related to aging and the diversity of PLHIV.

• “Beyond Comorbidities: Over50 Cohort of PLHIV ≥ 50 Years Old Compared to a Control Group”: The results showed a higher prevalence of sleep disorders, chronic pain, sexual dysfunction, falls, depression, and loneliness in PLHIV compared to a control group. This underscores the need for specific approaches to geriatric care in PLHIV.
• “Redesigning HIV Care: A Significant Shift in the Profile of Individuals Newly Diagnosed with HIV”: The study concluded that there has been a significant increase in HIV diagnoses in primary care, suggesting a possible lack of information about the infection, a greater diversity of affected population groups, an increase in detection among women, and an increase in AIDS diagnoses. This highlights the need to adopt differentiated approaches for newly diagnosed individuals.

The participation of the CTU team in the congress underscores our commitment to research, advancing the understanding and improvement of care for people with HIV.

Today, May 20th, we commemorate a historic milestone in medicine: the first clinical trial conducted by Scottish doctor James Lind in 1747. This pioneering trial, which identified a lack of vitamin C as the cause of scurvy among sailors in the British Navy, laid the foundation for modern clinical research.

In the past six decades, clinical research has transformed our health and well-being and has contributed to achieving goals such as:

• Life expectancy in Europe has increased by almost 10 years.
• The mortality rate from HIV/AIDS has decreased by over 80% since the 1980s.
• The cancer mortality rate is 20% lower since the 1990s.

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In every clinical trial, the true heroes are the patients. Their active participation is key to the development of new therapies and treatments.

At ScienHub Research Support, we are committed to advancing research by providing comprehensive support in the management and implementation of clinical studies. From our CRO, we handle the management of clinical trials in all phases, including bureaucratic procedures, monitoring, and data management. From the CTU, we implement clinical trials strictly adhering to current regulations. We ensure the rights, safety, and well-being of the participants, as well as the quality of the data obtained.

Last April, ScienHub Education organized the 2nd workshop as a Center of Excellence in HIV and Aging with the aim of consolidating the recognition of the Fight Infections Foundation as specialists in HIV and Aging. In 2023, the foundation was accredited as a Center of Excellence in HIV and Aging by the Gilead Sciences program, highlighting its dedication to research, treatment, and care for people living with HIV.

The training, aimed at a small group of medical professionals from hospital centers in Catalonia, was designed with the goal of ensuring healthy aging and a better quality of life, addressing medical, social, psychosocial, functional, cognitive, and geriatric aspects.

Dr. Eugènia Negredo, head of the HIV section at the Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital and researcher at the Fight against Infections Foundation, coordinated the workshop. The activity involved experts from her team and regular collaborators, thus reinforcing the foundation’s commitment to excellence in HIV and aging care.