Anti-HIV gel hopes dashed by trial results
February 2009
Up one levelFinally, anti-HIV microbicides research gives hope
By Bobby Ramakant (Zimbabwe Guardian - Guest Column) 26 February 2009: THE anti-HIV microbicides research has finally given a positive outcome - the microbicides gel PRO2000 under research showed 30% reduction of HIV transmission in the human clinical trials.
STATEMENT: International Partnership for Microbicides Receives US $130 Million from UK Government and the Gates Foundation
(IPM, Silver Springs, Md.) 24 February 2009: New support will accelerate development of new tools to help women protect themselves from HIV
Anti-HIV gel fails to meet target
BY Rex Chikoko (National news) 20 February 2009: Results of a John Hopkins Project (JHP) and the University of North Carolina (UNC) research of microbicides gel that could effectively protect women from HIV infections were released last week.
Study: Microbicide protects against HIV during sex in women
By Bob Roehr (Bay area reporter) 19 February 2009: The first successful clinical trial of a microbicide, a topical gel that can protect against HIV during sex, brought a sense of hope and relief to prevention advocates.
Microbicide may offer women some protection from HIV, study finds
By Rose Hoban (VOA News) 17 February 2009: While many scientists search desperately for ways to cure AIDS, others have devoted their time to finding better ways to prevent the spread of the deadly virus that causes it - HIV.
Scientists succeed in human trials of HIV microbicide in Zimbabwe
By Yang Lina HARARE (Xinhua) 16 February 2009: Scientists have had the first successful human trials on a gel-PRO 2000 microbicide intended to prevent HIV infections in women in Zimbabwe, local media New Ziana reported on Monday.
Study shows signs of slow progress in the search for an HIV microbicide
By Donald G. McNeil Jr. (New York Times) 16 February 2009: Finding a microbicide is one of the thorniest problems in AIDS research.
Microbicide gels may help prevent HIV/AIDS transmission
By Talea Miller, Jim Lehrer (Online NewsHour ) 16 February 2009:Two new studies of topical gels meant to prevent the transmission of HIV are providing fresh hope for the field of HIV prevention research after a string of disappointing set-backs.
Young mother helped test anti-HIV gel
By Teneshia Naidoo (The Times) 14 February 2009: A desire to “be part of something good” prompted a young Chatsworth woman to take part in a clinical trial of a product aimed at stemming the transmission of HIV/Aids.
Vaginal gel effective in preventing HIV infection: study
By the Hindu news Durban (PTI) 11 February 2009: In a study that could offer hope to millions of HIV-infected people, a vaginal gel has been found effective in preventing infection from the AIDS virus.
Microbicide shows HIV prevention promise
By Science News MONTREAL (UPI) 11 February 2009: AIDS researchers meeting in Montreal say anitretroviral drugs given by vaginal gel may be effective at preventing HIV infection.
Vaginal gel blocks HIV – but not enough to be scientific success
By Kerry Cullinan (Health-e, South Africa) 10 February 2009: Candidate microbicide PRO 2000 cuts HIV transmission by 30 percent, falling just short of the one-third required to be deemed a success. But scientists say this trial offers proof that the concept of a vaginal gel to block HIV is possible.
Anti-HIV gel shows promise in large-scale study in women
EurekAlert (The Hindu, India) 10 February 2009: An investigational vaginal gel intended to prevent HIV infection in women has demonstrated encouraging signs of success in a clinical trial conducted in Africa and the United States.
Gel to block HIV spread raises hope
By Zinhle Mapumulo (Sowetan) 10 February 2009: The much anticipated outcome of an HIV trial that assessed the effectiveness of “microbicide gel” in preventing transmission of the virus – from men to women – has shown positive results
Women closer to own HIV protection
By Teneshia Naidoo and Nivashni Nair (The Times, South Africa) 10 February 2009: A microbicide gel that reduces the risk of HIV transmission has been heralded as a “glimmer of hope” in the fight against the Aids virus.
Microbicide gel may help against HIV
By Meredith Wadman (Nature) 10 February 2009: After years of disappointments, AIDS r esearchers on 9 February announced the first preliminary results from a trial in which a vaginal microbicide seemed to reduce HIV infection. But experts caution that the findings fall shy of being statistically significant; a definitive answer will need to await the conclusion, later this year, of a much larger trial of the same microbicide.
South Africa: Microbicide against HIV is 'promising'
By Tamar Kahn (Business Day-Cape Town) 10 February 2009: A microbicide developed by US biotech firm Indevus Pharmaceuticals appears to offer women some protection against HIV, offering the first glimmer of hope in this research field in many years.
Drugs are found to block HIV in monkeys - pills, gel may help protect women
By David Brown (Washington Post) 10 February 2009: AIDS researchers who were gathered in Montreal yesterday heard encouraging results from studies of three strategies for preventing HIV infection using pharmaceuticals, particularly in women
Health buzz: HIV prevention studies show promise and other health news
By Deborah Kotz (Health usnews) 10 February 2009: Efforts to Prevent HIV Show Promise in Monkey, Human Studies
Microbicide hope at last, say researchers
By Sharon Davis (Scidev.net) 10 February 2009: Gloom about the performance of microbicide gels aimed at preventing HIV infection lifted a little yesterday (9 February) with the results of a major new trial.
A glimmer of hope for microbicide research
By IRIN (Durban, South Africa) 10 February 2009: After years of disappointments, AIDS researchers have announced results from a trial in which a vaginal microbicide appeared to offer promise in preventing HIV infection in women.
Drugs are found to block HIV in monkeys: Pills, gel may help protect women
By David Brown (Washington Post) 10 February 2009: AIDS researchers who were gathered in Montreal yesterday heard encouraging results from studies of three strategies for preventing HIV infection using pharmaceuticals, particularly in women.
Microbicide gel may help against HIV
By Meredith Wadman (Nature News) 10 February 2009: Early results suggest possible role against infection.
Microbicide gel falls short of showing significant efficacy for prevention of HIV infection: Presented at CROI
By Ed Susman (Doctors Guide - Montreal) 10 February 2009: An experimental vaginal gel aimed at preventing HIV transmission failed to achieve statistically significant efficacy, according to a study presented here at the 16th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI).
Indevus’ sex gel shows first AIDS protection in women (update1)
By John Lauerman (Bloomberg) 9 February 2009: A vaginal gel made by Indevus Pharmaceuticals Inc. showed first signs that such a product might protect women from the AIDS virus.
Breakthrough in HIV protection
South Africa Press Association (Chatsworth, South Africa) 9 February 2009: A world-wide study has found that a new vaginal product, the Pro2000, has a 30% effect on HIV in women, the Medical Research Council (MRC) said in Durban on Monday.
HIV gel breakthrough
By Health24 (South African Press Association) 9 February 2009: A study has found that a new vaginal gel called Pro2000 reduces the odds of HIV infection by 30 percent in women, says the Medical Research Council (MRC).
STATEMENT: Indevus pharmaceuticals announces PRO 2000 found to show promise in large HIV prevention study
By PR Newswire (Indevus) 9 February 2009: Indevus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: IDEV) announced today that a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored clinical study found that participating women who received PRO 2000, the Company's candidate vaginal microbicide for HIV prevention, had an approximately 30% lower risk of acquiring HIV infection than women who received a placebo or no vaginal product.
Novel HIV-Fighting method finally gels
By Jon Cohen (ScienceNOW Daily News - Montreal, Canada) 9 February 2009: Trials of microbicide gels to protect women against HIV infection have a perfect record--not one of them has worked, and some were even harmful.
Vaginal gel shows promise in AIDS prevention
by Neka Sehgal (The Money Times-Montreal) 9 February 2009: A vaginal gel which can kill the HIV virus, was hailed for holding hope as a weapon in the arsenal against the deadly disease.
New vaginal gel shows promise in AIDS fight graphs (Roundup)
By Health News (Washington) 9 February 2009: A vaginal gel which can kill the HIV virus during sexual intercourse was hailed Monday for holding hope as another weapon in the arsenal against the deadly disease.
Microbicide reduces HIV infections by 30% in first success for field
By Gus Cairns & Michael Carter (Aidsmap News) 9 February 2009: Campaigners were celebrating the results of a trial of a microbicide to prevent HIV that has produced a positive result, the first one to do so.
AIDS gels may work, but weakness seen in cocktails - Update 2
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor (Reuters - Washington) 9 February 2009: Researchers trying to find a way to protect women from the AIDS virus said on Monday they had the first evidence that protective gels might work.
Anti-HIV gel shows promise in safety study
By CBC News (Canada) 9 February 2009: An experimental gel appeared to help protect some women from HIV infection, researchers said Monday.
Indevus anti-HIV product gets study boost
By Julie Donnelly (Boston Business Journal) 9 February 2009: The National Institutes of Health has finished a study that found that women who received a vaginal microbial gel called PRO 200, made by Indevus, were 30 percent less likely to contract HIV than women who did not receive the gel.
Researchers: Gel shows promise in AIDS fight
By VOA News 9 February 2009: A South African researcher says an experimental gel is showing promise in protecting women from the AIDS virus.
Vaginal gel promising in AIDS prevention: study
AFP (Washington) 9 February 2009: An experimental vaginal gel has yielded promising results in preventing HIV infection in women, according to clinical trials conducted in Africa and the United States, the US National Institutes of Health said Monday.
Novel HIV-Fighting Method Finally Gels
By Jon Cohen (ScienceNOW Daily News) 9 February 2009: Trials of microbicide gels to protect women against HIV infection have a perfect record--not one of them has worked, and some were even harmful.
Experimental HIV protection gel shows promise
By RedObirt. 9 February 2009: Researchers said on Monday that an experimental vaginal gel to protect women from infection with the AIDS virus has shown some promise.
Indevus HIV microbicide misses study goal
By Associated Press, 9 Feburary 2009: Indevus Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Monday its developing HIV microbicide product for women failed to meet its goal in a government-sponsored study.
Indevus pharmaceuticals announces PRO 2000 found to show promise in large HIV prevention study
By PR NEwswire (LEXINGTON, Mass, U.S.A) 9 February 2009: Indevus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: IDEV) announced today that a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored clinical study found that participating women who received PRO 2000, the Company's candidate vaginal microbicide for HIV prevention, had an approximately 30% lower risk of acquiring HIV infection than women who received a placebo or no vaginal product.