Global Work

Global Contraceptive Work:  Effective and affordable contraception is a prerequisite for healthy women, families and societies.  Because inadequate spacing of children is an important factor in trapping people in poverty and HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects economically disadvantaged people, contraceptive work has a direct impact on curbing the current HIV/AIDS pandemic. CONRAD is continuing its leadership in contraceptive development, researching contraceptives for men and women that work systemically or through barriers, function for planned or emergency situations, and work with or without microbicides.  International partnerships and training of people in a variety of global cultures for local work synergize with CONRAD’s efforts.

 Male contraceptives.  CONRAD is aggressively pursuing hormonal and nonhormonal male contraceptives.  CONRAD and WHO, with drugs provided by Bayer Schering Pharma, have begun a Phase IIb clinical trial with TU/NET-EN (testosterone undecanoate/norethisertione enanthate) at 10 sites in Australia, Chile, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, and the UK.  The study should finish in 2012, and, with favorable findings, be followed by a larger Phase III trial.

Ongoing in vitro and small animal research is looking into several promising leads for the development of non-hormonal, reversible male contraceptives that disrupt critical steps in sperm production, maturation or motility.  Collaboration in this research is global, and includes investigators in Australia and the U.K., as well as in the U.S.A. 

Female contraceptives. Vaginal mechanical barriers are important forms of contraception.  Two shaft lengths of the Reddy Female Condom have recently been tested in India and the US.

Read about our microbicide global reach here.