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MEDIA CENTER Dispatches from the Front Lines of HIV Prevention Research During Microbicides 2006 Population Council staff will discuss results from completed studies and the challenges of testing one of the leading anti-HIV product candidates, Carraguard®. CAPE TOWN and NEW YORK (6 April 2006) — Microbicides 2006 will be the setting for the Population Council's biomedical and social science research team to present data trends from past studies and discuss obstacles and successes from ongoing studies. This global conference will be held 23–26 April in Cape Town, South Africa. Microbicides are products being developed to substantially reduce the transmission of HIV—and possibly other sexually transmitted infections—when applied vaginally. Microbicides 2006 is the fourth such international biennial meeting and the first one to be held in Africa. As a result of biological and cultural factors, women are twice as likely as men to acquire HIV from heterosexual intercourse. Yet current strategies for HIV prevention—abstinence, mutual monogamy between HIV-negative partners, condom use, and treatment of sexually transmitted infections—are not available or feasible for many women. Thus, there is an urgent need for products that women can use to help prevent HIV transmission. During Microbicides 2006, advocates, policymakers, researchers, and service providers will examine the latest developments in this rapidly evolving field of study. Population Council staff will present information about the Council's lead candidate microbicide, Carraguard®, which is being tested in a large-scale efficacy trial at three South African sites. Carraguard is one of the first microbicide candidates to enter an advanced clinical study. Council researchers will also discuss their next-generation microbicide candidates, which include products with contraceptive properties. Presentation highlights include:
Journalists are invited to interview Carraguard study staff at the conference center or can request a visit to the nearby trial site. The Population Council will also co-sponsor a satellite session, "Informed Consent for Participants in HIV Prevention Trials," on Tuesday, 25 April, 4:30–6:00 pm. Ensuring truly informed consent and voluntary participation is important for all human clinical trials and is a key component of the Council’s work on microbicides. This process was carefully studied during the Carraguard expanded safety and acceptability trials in South Africa. A newly published report on the subject, Informed Consent in HIV Prevention Trials: Report of an International Workshop, is available online. (PDF) South Africa is an especially appropriate location for Microbicides 2006. Because of the country's high incidence of HIV infection, it is a hub of microbicides research and the home of past and current Carraguard clinical trials. Responding to South Africans' tremendous need for prevention, the Population Council is laying the path for swift regulatory approval and manufacturing and distribution of Carraguard in South Africa, if the trial results are favorable. Comprehensive information about the organization's microbicide program is available online. (more) In addition to biomedical research—which includes efforts to develop an AIDS vaccine—the Population Council works to identify and reduce the vulnerabilities of people at high risk for HIV infection, including child brides, men who have sex with men, and sex workers; provide evidence for feasible and effective services to prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to child in resource-limited settings; and delineate cost-effective antiretroviral treatment programs in the developing world. Additional information about the HIV and AIDS program is available on the Council Web site. (more) An electronic guide to the Population Council's activities at Microbicides 2006 is now online. (more) The Population Council is an international, nonprofit, nongovernmental research organization that seeks to improve the well-being and reproductive health of current and future generations around the world and to help achieve a humane, equitable, and sustainable balance between people and resources. The Council conducts biomedical, social science, and public health research and helps build research capacities in developing countries. Established in 1952, the Council is governed by an international board of trustees. Its New York headquarters supports a global network of regional and country offices. Media contacts Offsite Link
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