Assessment of Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program Advocacy and Inclusion Rates of People Living With HIV in Anti–PD1/PDL1 Clinical Trials

Key Points Question Has inclusion of people living with HIV in anti–programmed death 1 and anti–programmed death ligand 1 (anti–PD1/PDL1) immunotherapy trials changed during ongoing Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program advocacy efforts by the National Cancer Institute? Findings In this quality improvement analysis of 87 anti–PD1/PDL1 trials approved by the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program from January 2014 to May 2019, the proportion of studies including people living with HIV increased from 16% of letters of intent to 70% of approved protocols. Inclusion of people living with HIV on submitted letters of intent increased over time. Meaning This study’s findings suggest that the increasing inclusion rates of people living with HIV in anti–PD1/PDL1 clinical trials are encouraging and that advocacy for these and other underrepresented populations should continue.