What ACTG does

ACTG (AIDS Clinical Trials Group) is a global, nonprofit clinical trials network founded in 1987 and headquartered at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, focused on advancing the management and cure of HIV and related infectious diseases. The network conducts Phase 1-4 clinical trials across 65 Clinical Research Sites in 15 countries on four continents, organized around five Transformative Science Groups (Antiretroviral Therapy, HIV Cure, Tuberculosis, Comorbidities, and Viral Hepatitis) plus cross-cutting groups in Behavioral Science, Women's Health, Neurology, and Implementation Science. ACTG's infrastructure is delivered through a consortium model: the Leadership and Operations Center (LOC) at UNC Chapel Hill, Statistical and Data Analysis Center at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Data Management Center at Frontier Science Foundation, and Network Coordinating Center at DLH, supported by a network of specialty virology, immunology, and pharmacology laboratories and a Central Specimen Repository operated jointly with the IMPAACT network.

Since its founding, ACTG has enrolled 47,000+ participants across 3,000+ trials, with active studies targeting long-acting injectable antiretroviral regimens, HIV cure strategies (including a Small Clinical Trials Unit for intensive experimental studies), tuberculosis treatment-shortening regimens, hepatitis B therapeutics, and platform trials for emerging infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and mpox. Landmark outputs include the LATITUDE study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2026, which led to early trial halt after demonstrating the superiority of long-acting injectable cabotegravir and rilpivirine over daily oral ART in adherence-challenged populations.

ACTG is primarily funded by the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) — through its Division of AIDS (DAIDS) — with collaborating support from the NIH National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and industry partners including ViiV Healthcare, Johnson & Johnson, and CIPLA, which supply investigational medications and co-fund specific protocols. The network monetizes through cooperative-agreement grant funding rather than commercial product sales; clinical trial participation is free for volunteers. Pharmaceutical sponsors gain access to ACTG's pre-established regulatory, laboratory, statistical, and site infrastructure, while the network's Global Community Advisory Board, Community Scientific Subcommittee, and site-level Community Advisory Boards ensure participant representation across the research lifecycle.

Name

ACTG

Legal name

ACTG (AIDS Clinical Trials Group)

Website

https://actgnetwork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ACTG is a nonprofit, NIH/NIAID-funded global clinical trials network conducting Phase 1-4 studies on HIV, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and emerging infectious diseases across 65 sites in 15 countries, having enrolled 47,000+ participants in 3,000+ trials since 1987.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical Trials Network Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (62151)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Clinical Development (Phase I–III Trial Design & Execution) (HLAIALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Clinical Trial Site Operations & Study Coordination (HLAGACAE), Healthcare Outcomes & Real-World Evidence (RWE) Analytics (BPAHALAN), Point-of-Care & Decentralized Trial Testing Services (HLAGAEAK)

Keywords

• Clinical trials network
• HIV research studies
• Infectious disease research
• Clinical trial infrastructure
• Antiretroviral therapy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. NIH/NIAID Government Funding: ACTG is primarily funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and collaborating NIH institutes including the National Institute of Mental Health. This constitutes the core operational funding for the network's clinical trials infrastructure, site management, laboratory operations, and scientific agenda.
2. Industry Support / Pharmaceutical Partnerships: Pharmaceutical companies including ViiV Healthcare, Johnson & Johnson, and CIPLA provide medications, product support, or co-funding for specific clinical trials. Medications for studies are sometimes provided by pharmaceutical partners, such as cabotegravir and rilpivirine provided by ViiV Healthcare and Johnson & Johnson for the LATITUDE study.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ACTG conducts Phase 1–4 clinical trials for HIV, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, and emerging infectious diseases through a global network of 65 Clinical Research Sites in 15 countries on four continents. The network provides full trial infrastructure — protocol development, statistical and data management support, specialty laboratories, specimen repositories, and regulatory liaison — organized around five Transformative Science Groups (Antiretroviral Therapy, HIV Cure, Tuberculosis, Comorbidities, Viral Hepatitis) plus cross-cutting groups in Behavioral Science, Women's Health, Neurology, and Implementation Science. Pharmaceutical partners and academic investigators use ACTG's pre-established platform to evaluate novel therapies; clinical trial participation is free for volunteers.

Product overview

ACTG (AIDS Clinical Trials Group) is the world's largest and longest-running clinical trials network focused on HIV and infectious diseases. Founded in 1987, ACTG operates a portfolio of clinical studies including HIV cure research, antiretroviral therapy optimization, treatment for comorbidities, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and emerging infectious diseases. The network comprises thousands of researchers across 65 clinical research sites in 15 countries on four continents, having conducted over 3,000 trials. Key research programs include the Small Clinical Trials Advancing HIV Remission and Cure program, transformative science groups focused on antiretroviral therapy, HIV cure, tuberculosis, comorbidities, viral hepatitis, and cross-cutting groups in behavioral science, women's health, neurology, and implementation science.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Small Clinical Trials Advancing HIV Remission and Cure: A program under ACTG's Cure Transformative Science Group for conducting small experimental clinical trials (less than 30 participants) to advance HIV remission and cure efforts.

Products and services

• ACTG Clinical Trials Network The ACTG Clinical Trials Network is the world's largest HIV clinical trials network, conducting research to improve the management of HIV and its comorbidities, develop cures for HIV, and innovate treatments for tuberculosis, hepatitis B, and emerging infectious diseases. The network operates 65 sites across 15 countries on four continents with 47,000+ participants and 3,000+ trials conducted since 1987, used by pharmaceutical companies and academic investigators.
• Small Clinical Trials Advancing HIV Remission and Cure Program A specialized program for conducting small (less than 30 participants), intensive experimental clinical trials to advance HIV remission and cure efforts using ACTG's infrastructure. Managed by the ACTG Small Clinical Trials Unit (SCTU). The first study under this program is Study A5413 evaluating oral dasatinib.
• ACTG Specimen Repository A large body of specimens collected from ACTG and IMPAACT network studies, available to investigators through a standard application and review process. Specimens are stored at the Central Specimen Repository managed by the Biomedical Research Institute. Used by academic investigators for HIV and infectious disease research.
• HIV Databases ACTG provides access to HIV databases for researchers to support data analysis and cross-study research. Used by academic and clinical investigators conducting secondary analyses.

Quantifiable outcome

• Long-acting injectable cabotegravir and rilpivirine reduced the cumulative risk of regimen failure at 48 weeks by nearly half — 22.8% for Cabenuva versus 41.2% for daily oral ART — leading to early halting of the LATITUDE trial in February 2024.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered key, supporting and core/fundamental.

• ViiV HealthcarekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerViiV Healthcare provides cabotegravir and rilpivirine medications for ACTG's LATITUDE study (A5359), which demonstrated the superiority of long-acting injectable Cabenuva over daily oral ART in people with adherence challenges. ViiV is a specialist HIV company jointly owned by GSK and Pfizer.
• Johnson & JohnsonkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohnson & Johnson provides medications (cabotegravir + rilpivirine) for the LATITUDE study as part of a collaboration with ViiV Healthcare. The study was funded by NIH with medications provided by ViiV Healthcare and Johnson & Johnson.
• CIPLAsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIPLA provides industry support for study A5402 (COPE), a phase 2 randomized clinical trial evaluating pramipexole versus escitalopram for treating depressive disorders and mild neurocognitive disorder among people living with HIV.
• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Statistical and Data Analysis Center (SDAC) is housed at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, providing complete statistical support from study design through publication for ACTG Phase 1-4 clinical trials. Harvard biostatisticians are core members of each protocol team.
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hillcore/fundamentalStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Leadership and Operations Center (LOC) Administrative Core is housed within UNC Chapel Hill's School of Medicine and Clinical Research Alliance. Responsible for managing all network funds, developing/negotiating budgets and contracts, supporting network meetings, and coordinating external communications.
• Frontier Science Foundation (FSTRF)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrontier Science Foundation acts as the ACTG Data Management Center (DMC), facilitating design and development of electronic case report forms, monitoring data quality, and preparing data for FDA progress reports. Also partners on the Repository Advisory Group (RAG) for specimen management.
• DLH (Network Coordinating Center)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Network Coordinating Center (NCC) is housed at DLH and collaborates with ACTG leadership to provide technical, scientific, administrative, and project management support. NCC coordinates implementation of the scientific research agenda and ensures compliance with network policies among ACTG leadership, sites, and partners.
• IMPAACT Clinical Trials NetworkkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Repository Advisory Group (RAG) is a collaboration between ACTG and IMPAACT clinical trials networks to make specimens collected from network studies available to investigators. This partnership creates a combined specimen repository spanning two major HIV/AIDS clinical trials networks.
• Biomedical Research Institute (Central Specimen Repository)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Central Specimen Repository managed by the Biomedical Research Institute stores specimens collected from completed ACTG and IMPAACT studies, making them available to investigators for new research through standard application and review processes.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• INSIGHT Network: International Network for Strategic Initiatives in Global HIV Trials — NIH-funded HIV and emerging-infection trials network conducting large, pragmatic Phase 3/4 studies. Comparable in operating model (NIH cooperative agreement, multicenter global CRS model) and therapeutic focus areas (HIV, COVID-19).
• IMPAACT Network: International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials Network — directly comparable NIH/DAIDS-funded HIV clinical trials network focused on maternal/pediatric HIV, TB, and pregnancy; partner with ACTG on the Central Specimen Repository, making them the closest functional peer.
• Tuberculosis Trials Consortium (TBTC): CDC-sponsored consortium conducting Phase 2/3 TB treatment and prevention trials across US and international sites. Most directly comparable to ACTG's TB TSG work and shares the multi-site, federally-funded clinical trial operations model.
• Microbicide Trials Network (MTN): NIH-funded network conducting clinical trials of microbicides for HIV prevention. Operates with a similar DAIDS consortium structure, multicenter site network, and community engagement model, although narrower in scope (prevention only).
• HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN): NIAID-funded HIV clinical trials network focused on prevention research (PrEP, vaccines, microbicides). Operates with analogous multi-site, NIH-funded, Phase 1-4 trial infrastructure serving overlapping investigator and pharmaceutical partner communities.
• HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN): NIAID-funded HIV vaccine clinical trials network operating global CRS sites and similar immunological laboratory infrastructure. Comparable in governance model, funder relationship, and operational scale to ACTG, though focused on vaccine efficacy rather than therapeutic/cure research.

Broad incumbents

• IQVIA: Global commercial contract research organization (CRO) providing clinical trial operations, laboratory, and data services. Operates at vastly larger scale than ACTG in commercial trials, with overlapping capabilities in trial design, biostatistics, central labs, and site management used by ACTG's pharmaceutical sponsors.
• Charles River Laboratories: Major CRO and research models organization providing preclinical and clinical laboratory services, including specialty lab capabilities (virology, immunology, pharmacology) that mirror the scope of ACTG's specialty laboratory network (Pitt, Emory, UNC, UCSD/SDSU).
• ICON plc: Global CRO providing clinical research, laboratory, and consulting services to pharma/biotech. Comparable through its central lab (formerly PRA) and post-2017 PRA merger that delivers similar data management, biostatistics, and global site support functions to ACTG's network infrastructure.
• Thermo Fisher PPD (Clinical Research Services): Large global CRO offering Phase I-IV clinical trial management, central labs, and bioservices acquired from PPD. Comparable in delivering centralized biostatistics, data management, and lab services that parallel ACTG's SDAC, DMC, and specialty lab functions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/actgnetwork
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ACTGNetwork
• Facebookfacebook.com/AIDSClinicalTrialsGroup
• Instagraminstagram.com/actgnetwork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ACTG