---
title: 'Bridged treatment comparisons: an illustrative application in HIV treatment'
description: >-
  Explore this publication on real-world evidence: Bridged treatment
  comparisons: an illustrative application in HIV treatment..
date: '2022-01-01'
author: Alexander Breskin
category: Publications
tags:
  - HIV
  - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  - Care
  - 'Yes'
  - arXiv
  - Health System Partner
  - Oral Presentation
  - Methods/Pharmacoepi
  - R&D
canonical_url: >-
  https://www.headwaterscience.com/resources/publications/di-hiv/bridged-treatment-comparisons-an-illustrative-application/
source: Headwater Science
license: © 2026 Headwater Science. All rights reserved.
slug: bridged-treatment-comparisons-an-illustrative-application
id: 1Sku3L7b7a2N0QFHtNUONx
contentType: article
---

## Challenge

Direct head-to-head comparisons of antiretroviral therapy regimens are not always feasible through trial designs sharing a common comparator arm, but no formal methodology existed for combining data across trials to make these bridged treatment comparisons in HIV research.

## Solution

Target RWE researchers and UNC collaborators applied the data fusion estimator to an HIV treatment comparison, using shared trial arms from ACTG 175 and ACTG 320 to estimate the indirect effect of triple versus mono antiretroviral therapy.

## Impact

Demonstrating the bridged treatment comparison estimator in an HIV treatment application validates the fusion methodology in a real clinical context and provides evidence that this approach can generate credible comparative effectiveness evidence from existing trial data.

## Use Cases / Links

Bridged HIV treatment comparison application demonstrating fusion estimator real-world validity, Fusion design application supporting evidence generation for HIV and other therapeutic areas without new trial data