http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/02/09/ap6025930.html

The National Institutes of Health was studying the company's Pro 2000 vaginal microbicide for HIV prevention. A microbicide is used to help block microbes, which include viruses and bacteria. While the results show that women using it had a 30 percent lower risk of acquiring HIV, the results were short of being statistically significant.

The women were either given the Pro 2000, placebo or no product at all. They were all also offered free condoms and safe-sex counseling.

Full results from the study will be presented Monday at the 16th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Montreal.

Meanwhile, the company said it is waiting for more study data on Pro 2000 in a study involving nearly 10,000 women. Those results should be available by the end of 2009.