Cream to prevent HIV safe, but not effective-study

By Maggie Fox with editing by Todd Eastham (REUTERS - WASHINGTON) 18 February 2008: A cream designed to protect women from the AIDS virus did not prevent infection, but it was safe, raising hopes that it might be combined with drugs or other compounds to work better, researchers said on Monday.

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN1761857720080218

The product, called Carraguard, is the first HIV cream to be tested in advanced trials in women and shown to be safe.

"We are disappointed that this trial did not show Carraguard to be effective; nonetheless the completion of this trial is a milestone in HIV prevention research," said Peter Donaldson, president of the Population Council, which sponsored the trial.

"The trial has contributed significantly to the field's body of knowledge regarding product development, trial design, and women's and their partners' willingness to use a vaginal gel consistently."

Microbicides are products, such as gels or creams, that could be applied vaginally or anally to prevent transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS.

So far, attempts to create a microbicide have failed.

The Carraguard trial began in March 2004 and involved 6,202 women in South Africa. Half got Carraguard, a tasteless, odorless gel made out of seaweed, and half got placebos.

All the women got counseling on how to prevent HIV and were also given condoms.

After three years 134 women using Carraguard became infected and 151 women given the placebo did. This difference was not statistically significant, the researchers said.

But Carraguard also did not worsen the risk of infection.

The two other microbicides to finish testing have in fact made women more likely to become infected -- a spermicide called nonoxynol-9 and a product called Ushercell, made by Toronto, Canada-based Polydex Pharmaceuticals (POLXF.O: Quote, Profile, Research).

"Now we all have to redouble our efforts to develop a microbicide that women can use to protect themselves," said Jeff Spieler, senior science adviser at the U.S. Agency for International Development.

In South Africa, more than 18 percent of the population is infected with the AIDS virus. Women account for 55 percent of HIV-positive adults there, almost all of them infected by men during sex.

Experts agree women need a product they can use to protect themselves because many men refuse to use condoms.

More than 33 million people globally are infected with HIV, which is incurable and deadly. There is no vaccine and drugs that can help control the infection do not stop its spread and are not available to most people.

Other products being developed as microbicides include Gilead Science's (GILD.O: Quote, Profile, Research) tenofovir gel, a gel called PRO 2000/5 and Pfizer Inc's (PFE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) newest HIV drug maraviroc.

Microbicides Media and Communications Initiative

Cream to prevent HIV safe, but not effective-study

Personal tools


	Just In Times Live Blog: Promising results in blocking HIV during first days of infection: M2010 2010-06-18 Times Live Blog: New drugs in the pipeline for anti-HIV microbicides: results presented at M2010 2010-06-18 Times Live Blog: Where was the polio vaccine discovered? 2010-06-18 More news… News Archives June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 December 2009 More... Member Log in User Email Password Cookies are not enabled. You must enable cookies before you can log in. Search Site	Cream to prevent HIV safe, but not effective-study By Maggie Fox with editing by Todd Eastham (REUTERS - WASHINGTON) 18 February 2008: A cream designed to protect women from the AIDS virus did not prevent infection, but it was safe, raising hopes that it might be combined with drugs or other compounds to work better, researchers said on Monday. http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN1761857720080218 The product, called Carraguard, is the first HIV cream to be tested in advanced trials in women and shown to be safe. "We are disappointed that this trial did not show Carraguard to be effective; nonetheless the completion of this trial is a milestone in HIV prevention research," said Peter Donaldson, president of the Population Council, which sponsored the trial. "The trial has contributed significantly to the field's body of knowledge regarding product development, trial design, and women's and their partners' willingness to use a vaginal gel consistently." Microbicides are products, such as gels or creams, that could be applied vaginally or anally to prevent transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS. So far, attempts to create a microbicide have failed. The Carraguard trial began in March 2004 and involved 6,202 women in South Africa. Half got Carraguard, a tasteless, odorless gel made out of seaweed, and half got placebos. All the women got counseling on how to prevent HIV and were also given condoms. After three years 134 women using Carraguard became infected and 151 women given the placebo did. This difference was not statistically significant, the researchers said. But Carraguard also did not worsen the risk of infection. The two other microbicides to finish testing have in fact made women more likely to become infected -- a spermicide called nonoxynol-9 and a product called Ushercell, made by Toronto, Canada-based Polydex Pharmaceuticals (POLXF.O: Quote, Profile, Research). "Now we all have to redouble our efforts to develop a microbicide that women can use to protect themselves," said Jeff Spieler, senior science adviser at the U.S. Agency for International Development. In South Africa, more than 18 percent of the population is infected with the AIDS virus. Women account for 55 percent of HIV-positive adults there, almost all of them infected by men during sex. Experts agree women need a product they can use to protect themselves because many men refuse to use condoms. More than 33 million people globally are infected with HIV, which is incurable and deadly. There is no vaccine and drugs that can help control the infection do not stop its spread and are not available to most people. Other products being developed as microbicides include Gilead Science's (GILD.O: Quote, Profile, Research) tenofovir gel, a gel called PRO 2000/5 and Pfizer Inc's (PFE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) newest HIV drug maraviroc.