Microbicides for sexually transmitted diseases are pharmacologic agents and chemical substances that are capable of killing or destroying certain microorganisms that commonly cause human infection.
The European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) is a partnership between the European Union (EU), Norway, Switzerland and developing countries and other donors, as well as the pharmaceutical industry, to enable clinical trials and the development of new medicines and vaccines against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. The need for global action against these diseases in order to promote poverty reduction has been recognised by the United Nations, the G8, and the African Union, and the program envisioned the provision of €600 million for the period 2003–2007 in order to translate medical research results into clinical applications relevant to the needs of developing countries.
The Division of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (DAIDS) is a division of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is part of the National Institutes of Health. It was formed in 1986 as a part of the initiative to address the national research needs created by the advent and spread of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Specifically, the Division's mission is to increase basic knowledge of the pathogenesis, natural history, and transmission of HIV disease and to support research that promotes progress in its detection, treatment, and prevention. DAIDS accomplishes this through planning, implementing, managing, and evaluating programs in (1) fundamental basic research, (2) discovery and development of therapies for HIV infection and its complications, and (3) discovery and development of vaccines and other prevention strategies.
The first AIDS case identified in Brazil was in 1982. Infection rates climbed exponentially throughout the 1980s, and in 1990 the World Bank famously predicted 1,200,000 cases by 2000, approximately double the actual number that was later reported by the Brazilian Ministry of Health and most international organizations. South and Southeast have 75% or more of this infection. The Northeast has 33% of the population but only 10% of AIDS.
Kenya has a severe, generalized HIV epidemic, but in recent years, the country has experienced a notable decline in HIV prevalence, attributed in part to significant behavioral change and increased access to ARV. Adult HIV prevalence is estimated to have fallen from 10 percent in the late 1990s to about 4.8 percent in 2017. Women face considerably higher risk of HIV infection than men but have longer life expectancies than men when on ART. The 7th edition of AIDS in Kenya reports an HIV prevalence rate of eight percent in adult women and four percent in adult men. Populations in Kenya that are especially at risk include injecting drug users and people in prostitution, whose prevalence rates are estimated at 53 percent and 27 percent, respectively. Men who have sex with men (MSM) are also at risk at a prevalence of 18.2%. Other groups also include discordant couples however successful ARV-treatment will prevent transmission. Other groups at risk are prison communities, uniformed forces, and truck drivers.
CAPRISA 004 is the name of a clinical trial conducted by CAPRISA. This particular study was the first to show that a topical gel could reduce a person's risk of contracting HIV. The gel used in the study contained a microbicide.
Zeda Fran Rosenberg is an American microbiologist and epidemiologist, active in HIV biology and prevention. She is the chief executive officer of the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM). IPM was founded by Rosenberg in 2002 and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing microbicides and other innovative HIV prevention products and making them available for women in developing countries.
CONRAD is a non-profit organization scientific research organization that works to improve the reproductive health of women, especially in developing countries. CONRAD was established in 1986 under a cooperative agreement between Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) and the United States Agency for International Development(USAID). CONRAD’s products are developed primarily for women in low-resource settings, in that they are designed to be safe, affordable and user-friendly. CONRAD is led by Scientific and Executive Director Gustavo Doncel, M.D., Ph.D. Primary funding for CONRAD comes from the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), with additional funding from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
International Rectal Microbicide Advocates (IRMA) is an international non-profit organization which promotes awareness of rectal microbicides.
A rectal microbicide is a microbicide for rectal use. Most commonly such a product would be a topical gel inserted into the anus so that it make act as protection against the contract of a sexually transmitted infection during anal sex.
Global Campaign for Microbicides (GCM) is a non-profit organization which promotes the development and use of microbicides to improve health. The campaign is housed at PATH in Seattle.
PRO 2000 is an experimental vaginal microbicide which has been proposed as a preventive medicine for reducing the risk of contracting HIV. It has never been recommended as an effective medicine to be used for any purpose. Some clinical trials have shown that under some conditions it may provide some protection against HIV.
A vaginal microbicide is a microbicide for vaginal use. Most commonly such a product would be a topical gel or cream inserted into the vagina so that it may treat some infection in the vagina, such as types of vaginitis.
Dapivirine is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor developed at Janssen Therapeutics. The International Partnership for Microbicides has held exclusive worldwide rights to dapivirine since 2014, building upon a 2004 royalty-free license to develop dapivirine-based microbicides for women in resource-poor countries.
Multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs) are a class of products designed to address at least two health issues simultaneously, often focusing on sexual and reproductive health which includes contraception, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention, other sexually transmitted infection (STI) preventions, such as genital infection by human simplex virus (HSV) infection and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. For example, MPTs can combine contraception and HIV prevention, contraception and other STI prevention, or the prevention of multiple STIs. Since the simultaneous use of multiple products with a single indication against each specific sexual and reproductive health issue is inconvenient, this method may affect adherence. As a result, the goal of developing a MPT as an all-in-one product is to combat this issue.
Dapivirine (DPV) Ring is an antiretroviral vaginal ring pioneered by the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) pending for regulatory review. It is designed as a long-acting form of HIV prevention for at-risk women, particularly in developing nations such as sub-Saharan Africa. IPM has rights to both the medication and the medical device. A total of four rings with different drug diffusion systems and polymer composition have been developed by IPM. The latest design, Ring-004, is a silicone polymer matrix-type system capable of delivering DPV intravaginally in a sustained manner.
Gita Ramjee was a Ugandan-South African scientist and researcher in HIV prevention. In 2018, she was awarded the ‘Outstanding Female Scientist’ award from the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership. She died in Umhlanga, Durban, South Africa, from COVID-19 related complications.
Sharon Louise Hillier is an American microbiologist. She is the Richard Sweet Endowed Chair in Reproductive Infectious Disease and vice chair of the department of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and Magee-Women's Research Institute.
Tlaleng Mofokeng is a South African physician who is the United Nations' Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health. She campaigns for universal health access and HIV care. She was named one of the BBC's 100 Women in 2021.
