New Population Council research shows that it may be possible to formulate a discreet, convenient, and woman-controlled multi-purpose technology to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) with limited risk of cross-resistance to antiretrovirals (ARV).  This research published today in Nature Communications tests the non-antiretroviral agents, griffithsin (GRFT) and carrageenan (CG), in a fast-dissolving vaginal insert in rhesus macaques and mice.

The Population Council, a global nonprofit research organization, announced it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for Annovera™ (segesterone acetate and ethinyl estradiol vaginal system), the first and only contraceptive that provides an entire year of protection against unintended pregnancy while fully under a woman’s control. The approval marks an important step toward expanding contraceptive options for women.

Today the Population Council announced a new license agreement with TherapeuticsMD to make available the Council's investigational segesterone acetate/ ethinyl estradiol one-year vaginal system for contraception, to women in the United States. The agreement marks an important step toward expanding contraceptive options for women. 

Population Council researchers presented preclinical research results suggesting new strategies to prevent HIV and STIs from two studies at this week’s Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), the world’s preeminent HIV research meeting.  

The Population Council announces the appointment of Jonathan Shakes to the Board of Trustees. Mr. Shakes is an e-commerce logistics consultant, having worked fifteen years in operations, software and product management at Amazon and its subsidiaries.

The Population Council today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review its one-year Nestorone® / ethinyl estradiol vaginal ring for pregnancy prevention. If approved, the contraceptive vaginal ring would be the first contraceptive option that provides a full year of protection against unintended pregnancy while fully under a woman’s control.

The Population Council announces the appointment of leading South African AIDS researcher, Salim S. Abdool Karim, to the Council Board of Trustees. Dr. Karim, a clinical infectious diseases epidemiologist is the Director of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), CAPRISA Professor of Global health at Columbia University in New York and Honorary Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. 

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA — More than 60 new analyses from the Population Council will elevate the scientific discourse on critical health and development issues this week at the 2017 International Population Conference (IPC) in South Africa, with a particular focus on the risks and realities faced by adolescents. 

First in-human clinical trial of griffithsin, a naturally occurring anti-HIV protein, which limits risk of cross-resistance to antiretroviral (ARV) products

NEW YORK, NY—The Population Council today announced the enrollment of the first participant in the Phase I clinical trial evaluating PC-6500 (griffithsin in a carrageenan gel), an investigational multipurpose technology to prevent HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), two major threats to sexual health around the world. This is the first in-human study of griffithsin (GRFT), a naturally occurring algae protein that inhibits HIV and other pathogens, including Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV-2).                                                                                                              

New York, NY (August 17, 2017) — The Population Council has been awarded Breakthrough-RESEARCH, a five-year cooperative agreement from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The project aims to improve healthy behaviors and norms across key global health areas, including family planning and reproductive health; HIV/AIDS; maternal, newborn and child health; emerging infectious diseases; and malaria. Led by the Population Council, consortium partners include the Institute for Reproductive Health at Georgetown University, Population Reference Bureau, Tulane University, Avenir Health and ideas42.