A Phase 3 interventional study of MK-8527 and Emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil (FTC/TDF) in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, sponsored by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC. Recruiting at 30 sites in 3 countries. Open to female participants aged 16 Years to 30 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-20.
Sponsored by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC (part of Merck & Co., Inc) · Phase 3, Interventional, and Prevention
Researchers are looking for new medicines to prevent HIV-1 (Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1) infection.
The goals of this study are to learn:
3,035 studies on the registry are indexed under Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; 306 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 4,580 is above the median of 96 across 2,251 interventional studies indexed under Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome.
Browse Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome studies →Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC is the lead sponsor of 2,166 studies on the registry; 132 are open to participants now.
Of its 501 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 370 (74%) have results posted.
Compared within Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, the registry's first condition term, which may not be this study's main condition. Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily. How we classify →
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
The main inclusion criteria include but are not limited to the following:
Exclusion Criteria:
The main exclusion criteria include but are not limited to the following:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.
Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.
An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. These are separate tests: HBsAg positive usually means a current infection (a recent vaccination can briefly cause it too); total anti-HBc (HBcAb) positive means an infection now or in the past; HBV DNA measures how much virus is in the blood.
Some studies accept a past infection if HBV DNA is undetectable, sometimes with antiviral medicine during the study. Check what this study allows.
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.
It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.
HIV
The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.
Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hypersensitivity
An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hepatitis B tests
Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. These are separate tests: HBsAg positive usually means a current infection (a recent vaccination can briefly cause it too); total anti-HBc (HBcAb) positive means an infection now or in the past; HBV DNA measures how much virus is in the blood.
Some studies accept a past infection if HBV DNA is undetectable, sometimes with antiviral medicine during the study. Check what this study allows.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Cancer (malignancy)
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Investigational drug or device
A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.
It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants will receive 11 mg MK-8527 once monthly (QM) and placebo matched to Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate (FTC/TDF) once daily (QD) for up to approximately 2 years. Participants will then receive open-label 200 mg FTC/245 mg TDF QD for an additional 28 days.
Drug: MK-8527 · Drug: Placebo matched to FTC/TDF
Participants will receive 200 mg FTC/245 mg TDF QD and placebo matched to MK-8527 QM for up to approximately 2 years. Participants will then receive open-label 200 mg FTC/245 mg TDF QD for an additional 28 days.
Drug: Emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil (FTC/TDF) · Drug: Placebo matched to MK-8527
Oral tablet
Oral tablet
Also known as: Truvada, Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate
Placebo oral tablet matched to MK-8527
Placebo oral tablet matched to FTC/TDF
Number of Participants with Adjudicated Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) Infection
The number of participants with adjudicated HIV-1 infection will be presented.
Time frame: Up to ~2 years
Number of Participants who Experience At Least One Adverse Event (AE)
An AE is any untoward medical occurrence in a clinical study participant, temporally associated with the use of study intervention, whether or not considered related to the study intervention. The number of participants that experienced AEs will be presented.
Time frame: Up to ~2 years
Number of Participants who Discontinue Study Intervention Due to an AE
An AE is any untoward medical occurrence in a clinical study participant, temporally associated with the use of study intervention, whether or not considered related to the study intervention. The number of participants that discontinued study intervention due to an AE will be presented.
Time frame: Up to ~2 years
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Plan to share: Yes — https://trialstransparency.msdclinicaltrials.com/pdf/ProcedureAccessClinicalTrialData.pdf
Data sharing details ↗ · externaldatasharing-msd.com
Started Nov 2025 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Oct 2027, 23 months after the start.
Of 34 industry-sponsored phase 3 interventional studies under Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, half reached primary completion within 22 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 17 and three quarters within 27. This study's planned 23 months is close to that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 65 studies reached it within 26 months; a quarter within 19 and three quarters within 34.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.
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Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome →