# RADx HIV Viral Load Supplement 2.0

> **NIH NIH U54** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $250,000

## Abstract

SUMMARY
HIV viral load monitoring has been a key component of medical care and public health for individuals living
with HIV; however, we need better technologies for home-based or point-of-care diagnostics. The overall
objective of this supplemental funding to “The Center for Innovation in Point-of-Care Technologies for
HIV/AIDS and Emerging Infectious Diseases at Northwestern (C-THAN)” is to conduct market research and a
quantitative conjoint analysis for HIV viral load diagnostics in the United States. Our team will also perform
project reviews, participate as viability/steering panel members, and provide expertise to teams developing
novel point-of-care diagnostic technologies for HIV viral load. For the HIV viral load conjoint analysis, we will
create and distribute an internet-based survey whereby we present patients and healthcare providers with
hypothetical test concepts that vary by different test attributes. Hypothetical tests will vary based on specific
attributes such as limit of detection (e.g., 40, 200, 1000 copies per mL), sample collection method (e.g.
venipuncture, fingerstick, microneedle patch), and other attributes. Survey participants will rate each option
based on the likelihood of purchasing and using the test, on a scale from 0 to 100. Then, the relative
preference for each level of a particular attribute is deduced and assigned a utility value. The higher the utility
value, the more preferable the attribute level. From these utilities, the relative importance of each attribute can
be calculated: the bigger the gap between the utility assigned to the least preferred level and the most
preferred level, the more important the attribute. We propose to distribute the survey among 300 patients and
150 healthcare providers in the United States. These research findings will be analyzed, presented to
stakeholders, presented at domestic or international conferences, and eventually published in a peer-reviewed
publication. This research and supplemental support will advance efforts to create innovative diagnostics
for home-based or point-of-care HIV viral load testing.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11082722
- **Project number:** 3U54EB027049-07S1
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Chad J Achenbach
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $250,000
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-09-11 → 2028-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11082722

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11082722, RADx HIV Viral Load Supplement 2.0 (3U54EB027049-07S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11082722. Licensed CC0.

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