US Pharm. 2010;35(8):6.
Vienna, Austria—Corresponding with the 18th International AIDS Conference, online publication of study results in the journal
Science showed that a 1% vaginal gel formulation of the antiretroviral drug tenofovir reduced the risk of HIV infection in women by more than 50% if used consistently. Through the Centre for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), 889 sexually active women ages 18 to 40 years were given either the tenofovir gel or a placebo over a 2.5-year period. The gel reduced the risk of HIV infection by 39% overall, and by 54% among those women who used it at least 80% of the time. This is the first topical microbicide to show significant effectiveness against the disease. With over 33 million people worldwide infected with HIV, there is an urgent need to develop prevention tools, especially for African women.
