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HIV/AIDS
- VAGINAL MICROBICIDE EFFECTIVE IN LAB STUDY
NEW YORK (5 January 2011)—Population Council director of biomedical HIV
research Melissa Robbiani and her team demonstrated that a vaginal gel called
PC-1005 completely protected monkeys from infection with the strain of the
virus that causes AIDS in monkeys for up to 24 hours, according to a study
published today in PLoS ONE. PC-1005 contains low doses of MIV-150 and zinc acetate. MIV-150 is a potent
non-nucleoside HIV reverse transcriptase inhibitor, or NNRTI, that prevents HIV
infection of cells. Zinc acetate is a naturally occurring salt that has
antiviral properties. The combination gel was applied once daily during a
two-week trial period. This research is part of the Population Council's efforts to develop and
introduce safe, effective microbicides for vaginal and/or rectal use to prevent
the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. "Based
on these excellent results, the MIV-150/zinc acetate gel is the Population
Council's lead microbicide candidate," said Robbiani. The small amount of pharmaceutical ingredients in PC-1005—0.002 percent
MIV-150 and 0.3 percent zinc acetate—could translate into a low-cost, safe
microbicide. In addition, a product that is used once daily may provide women
with a convenient, easy-to-use HIV prevention option. Robbiani's team also tested a zinc acetate–only version of the gel. While
not as effective as the combination product, this formula offers significant
protection against simian immunodeficiency virus, and unpublished research
indicates that it also may be effective against genital herpes. Some HIV prevention products under development contain HIV treatment drugs,
and there is concern that these candidates could lead to a treatment-resistant
strain of HIV. However, MIV-150 and zinc acetate are not used to treat HIV, so
there may be reduced risk that the two gels from the Population Council would
contribute to the emergence of a drug-resistant form of HIV. Both versions of
the microbicide gel have a seaweed-derived carrageenan base, which has been
shown to be acceptable to women and safe for long-term vaginal use. Based on the promising results published in PLoS ONE, as well as in
vitro data on safety and efficacy, the Population Council's human testing
of both the MIV-150/zinc acetate gel and the zinc acetate–alone gel could begin
in early 2012. Outside funding for this research was provided by the National Institutes of
Health, US Agency for International Development, Swedish Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.