Microbicide Research

CONRAD, a leading organization in reproductive health research, is developing new ways to protect women from acquiring infections, especially HIV/AIDS.  CONRAD links basic and clinical research and brings investigators in the laboratory and the field together, whether they are employed by agencies, nongovernmental organizations, foundations, or the private sector. In the development of microbicides, CONRAD’s primary goals are for safe, effective, acceptable, and affordable methods and products.

CONRAD scientists have been instrumental in advancing several microbicide candidates including first generation candidates PRO2000, BufferGel, and cellulose sulfate, and second generation candidates tenofovir and UC781. First generation microbicides focused on killing or inactivating pathogens, strengthening the vagina’s natural defenses, or blocking the virus from entering the vaginal mucosa. Unfortunately, the first generation microbicides did not prove efficacious in clinical trials. Today, reverse transcriptase inhibitors (RTIs) and other antiretrovirals are being formulated as microbicides for the prevention of HIV. In recent years, CONRAD has worked to develop two antiretroviral drugs, tenofovir and UC781, both alone and in combination, as microbicides. The first trial to test tenofovir efficacy in humans, CAPRISA 004, showed tenofovir gel to be 39% effective in reducing a woman’s risk of becoming infected with HIV during sex. Initial testing of UC781 single entity gel showed it to be safe and well tolerated, but difficulties encountered formulating UC781 in alternative dosage forms (e.g., rings and films) and in combination with tenofovir led to a strategic decision in 2010 to discontinue UC781 development. CONRAD researchers continue to investigate other compounds as potential microbicides, in particular MIV-170 and other RTIs (e.g., emtricitabine [FTC] and TFV disoproxil fumarate [TDF]) in vaginal formulations.

The microbicide development process, like the development process for any drug, is a lengthy one. Potential microbicide candidates are evaluated to determine their antimicrobial and local safety properties, formulated into test products, tested in animals to evaluate safety and efficacy, and finally, tested in humans. Candidate products are first tested in a small group of humans to evaluate safety, then in a larger group to evaluate safety and efficacy and finally, in an even larger group to further evaluate safety and efficacy. For more information on the process involved in bringing microbicides to the people who need them, click here.

To learn more about CONRAD’s preclinical microbicide activities, click here.

To learn more about CONRAD’s clinical microbicide activities, click here.

Dual-Protection Technologies: The ability to use a single product or application to protect against unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, would provide women with a simplified, more acceptable, and potentially less expensive choice for protection. To this end, CONRAD is developing contraceptive/anti-HIV and anti-HIV/anti-STI technologies. Learn more about dual-protection technologies in development here.