Wähner, Cornelia
Lang, Lisa M.
Almahfoud, Maher
Beer, Daniel
Esser, Stefan
Müller, Matthias C.
Postel, Nils
Potthoff, Anja
Schneeweiß, Stephan
Schellberg, Sven
Luzak, Agnes
Funding for this research was provided by:
MSD Sharp and Dohme
Article History
Received: 31 July 2025
Accepted: 18 November 2025
First Online: 12 December 2025
Declarations
:
: This study was performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. An ethics vote for this study was obtained in accordance with local legal requirements for non-interventional studies in Germany prior to the start of data collection. The study protocol was reviewed and initially approved on 18th September 2023 by the ethics committee Ärztekammer Berlin, Berlin, Germany (central ethics committee), and was then submitted to all local ethics committees. Any amendments to the study protocol were submitted to the central as well as local ethics committees of each participating site. All Ethics Committees involved are listed in the supplement, table B1.Participants were informed about this study and asked if they are willing to participate by their treating physician. The participant received a patient information sheet in electronic form including the informed consent form (ICF) and the Data Protection Regulations. Written informed consent, as appropriate in accordance with local regulations (pursuant to Article 6 and Article 7 of the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)), was obtained before any study-related procedure (i.e., before the screening interview). Consent was documented by the participant’s dated signature on the ICF along with the dated signature of the physician conducting the consent discussion. The participant received a copy of the signed document via e-mail before participating in the study.
: Not applicable.
: CW, LL and AL are employees of MSD Sharp & Dohme GmbH, Germany, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA. MA is an employee at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. He received honoraria for lecturing and/or travel expenses from GSK/ViiV Healthcare, MSD Sharp & Dohme GmbH Germany, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Janssen, Octapharma, and Biogen Inc.DB is an employee at Praxis/Labor of Dr. Knechten, Aachen, Germany. He received honoraria from Amgen, Gilead Sciences, Inc., MSD Sharp & Dohme GmbH Germany, Johnson & Johnson, and GSK/ViiV Healthcare as a speaker; institutional grant support from Gilead Sciences, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, and GSK/ViiV Healthcare; travel expenses from Gilead Sciences, Inc.SE received institutional research funding from Gilead Sciences, ViiV Healthcare, Janssen and MSD Sharp & Dohme GmbH Germany, and honoraria, consulting fees and, lecturer fees from Gilead Sciences, Glaxo Smith Kline, ViiV Healthcare, Janssen and MSD Sharp & Dohme GmbH Germany.MCM received consulting fees and support for congress attendance from Gilead Sciences.NP received research funding, congress and travel support and consultancy fees from TAD, Hexal, MSD Sharp & Dohme GmbH Germany, ViiV/GSK, Gilead, Heidelberg Immunotherapeutics, Astra Zeneca, Janssen.AP received honoraria for lectures from GSK and participated in a GSK advisory board and has received support for attending meetings from Gilead. AP holds stock of HALEON.SSc is an employee at Praxis Hohenstaufenring, Cologne, Germany. He received honoraria from MSD Sharp & Dohme GmbH Germany and GSK/ViiV Healthcare as a speaker. Institutional research funding MSD Sharp & Dohme GmbH Germany, Gilead Sciences and GSK/ViiV Healthcare; travel expenses from Gilead Sciences, Inc, Johnson and Johnson and GSK/VIIV Healthcare.SVS received institutional research funding from Gilead Sciences, ViiV Healthcare, MSD Sharp & Dohme GmbH Germany, Glaxo Smith Kline and honoraria, consulting fees and lecturer fees from Gilead Sciences, Glaxo Smith Kline, Abbvie, Biontech, Thera Therapeuticals, Astrazeneca, Bavarian Nordic, ViiV Healthcare, Janssen and MSD Sharp & Dohme GmbH Germany.