Vaginal gel shows promise in thwarting HIV/AIDS--study

Scientists have developed for women a topical gel containing the antiretroviral drug tenofovir, a microbicide which has the potential to block or kill HIV and provide an effective shield against the deadly disease.

Lead researcher, Dr. Quarraisha Abdool Karim, associate director of the Centre for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) and associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia University in New York stated, "Tenofovir gel could fill an important HIV prevention gap by empowering women who are unable to successfully negotiate mutual faithfulness or condom use with their male partners."

He added, “This new technology has the potential to alter the course of the HIV epidemic, especially in southern Africa where young women bear the brunt of this devastating disease.”

Study details
In order to determine whether the vaginal gel would be a good defence against HIV infection, the researchers conducted a study involving 900 South African HIV-negative women.

The participants were between the ages 18 and 40 years and were sexually active.

As a part of the study, half the participants were given the vaginal gel (1 percent tenofovir) and the remaining half a placebo to use before sexual intercourse.

The women were instructed to use the gel 12 hours before making love and then again within 12 hours after the sexual act.

Outcome of the study
During the 30-month study period the researchers noted that there were 98 infections with 38 in the group using gel and 60 in the placebo group.

This translated into an overall risk reduction by 39 percent in the women who used the tenovir-containing gel.

In addition, the risk of infection was cut by 54 percent in women who adhered to the regime strictly and used the product consistently with proper instructions.

Also, the use of gel lowered the risk of contracting genital herpes by 51 percent, a common sexually transmitted infection which itself increases the risk of HIV.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases stated, "This is the first time we have seen any microbicide give a positive result.

“Given that women make up the majority of new HIV infections throughout the world, this finding is an important step toward empowering an at-risk population with a safe and effective HIV prevention tool."

Need for further clinical trials
Though the results are promising, experts concede there is need for broader trials before the new vaginal gel can be licensed for commercial use.

The researchers reflected that even if the gel was not hundred percent effective it is a highly encouraging new lead that meets the criteria of safety, affordability, and efficacy in combating HIV.

The disease is a big killer. Nearly 16,000 people contract HIV every day, the majority getting infected through unprotected sex. Around thirty-three million people in the world are living with HIV today.

Results of the South African trial are being presented at the International AIDS Conference currently taking place in Vienna and are published in the online issue of the journal Science.