Introduction
coronavirus disease 2019, infections, TAF, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
CORONAVIRUS, CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019, INFECTIONS
Globally, more than 37.7 million people were living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and 27.5 million had access to antiretroviral (ARV) therapy (ART) at the end of 2020, with 1.5 million new infections diagnosed in 2021 [The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic raised new challenges to the HIV care continuum with periods in which much of population was under lockdown, curfews, and travel restrictions [California issued a COVID-19-related lockdown on March 19, 2020, ordering all residents except first responders to stay home to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). During this time, most of the HIV prevention programs were suspended and counseling services were stopped. Lundquist Institute at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center remained open for the conduct of this ongoing clinical trial designed to address an innovative method for measuring and improving adherence to ART. While prioritizing the safety of the participants, the study continued for those already enrolled but stopped recruiting new participants during the lockdown. Despite efforts to maintain the integrity of the ongoing study, there remained concerns regarding the ability of participants to attend study visits. Lessons learned during the pandemic can be used to enhance patient care and the conduct of vital clinical trials. For the latter, additional consideration is needed to assess the impact of the pandemic on trial results.This analysis was built upon several previously published papers. We evaluated the bioavailability of the co-encapsulated sensor pills with ARVs and confirmed that co-encapsulation does not affect the pharmacokinetics of eight commonly used ARV fixed-dose combination tablets: emtricitabine (FTC)/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF); FTC/tenofovir alafenamide (TAF); efavirenz (EFV)/FTC/TDF; abacavir (ABC)/lamivudine (3TC); dolutegravir (DTG)/ABC/3TC; rilpivirine (RPV)/TAF/FTC; elvitegravir (EVG)/cobicistat (COBI)/FTC/TAF; and bictegravir (BIC)/FTC/TAF [