Briefing note on microbicides and the closure of cellulose sulphate trials

News from the International HIV/AIDS Alliance

16 February 2007 – for immediate release

In light of the recent developments related to microbicide trials, and in particular to the halting of a Phase III study of the microbicide cellulose sulphate being carried out in Benin, Uganda, South Africa and India, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance has produced a briefing note to provide background information on microbicides, and specific information on the cellulose sulphate trials.

The briefing note is available here from the Alliance website.

There are a number of key points to note:

  • The independent Data Safety and Monitoring Boards (put in place to identify problems early on in a trial) appear to have worked well. Advocacy has been instrumental in pushing for extra mechanisms to help protect participant safety.
  • It is important to make sure that advocates’ and community questions about this trial and future research are heard and addressed as soon as possible.
  • This is a setback but it does not detract from the issue that women still don’t have the tools they need to protect themselves from HIV.
  • Getting a negative result for one product certainly doesn’t signal failure for the microbicide field or broader biomedical HIV prevention research efforts as a whole. The nature of research is that the information gathered is cumulative. It is imperative to continue to support ongoing effectiveness trials and the development of other microbicide candidates in the research pipeline.
  • Developing new tools to prevent HIV – particularly for women – is an urgent priority. Learning as much as possible from the trials of cellulose sulphate, and using that knowledge to continue searching for compounds and collecting evidence to find a successful microbicides should continue. Learning what doesn’t work can be just as important to progress as learning what does work.

Ends

Editor’s notes

  1. Established in 1993, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance (the Alliance) is a global partnership of nationally-based organisations working to support community action on AIDS in developing countries. These national partners help local community groups and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to take action on AIDS, and are supported by technical expertise, policy work and fundraising carried out at the UK-based international secretariat and across the Alliance.
  2. The Alliance has worked with community organisations from over 40 countries, provided financial support to over 3,000 projects (implemented by over 2,000 community and faith-based groups). Expenditure in 2006 alone was over US $55 million (£30 million).
  3. More information about the work of the International HIV/AIDS Alliance is available from www.aidsalliance.org. Alternatively, and to arrange interviews, please contact Simon Moore. T: 01273 718744. E: smoore@aidsalliance.org or Rhian Evans. T: 01273 718961. E: revans@aidsalliance.org.