US Pharm. 2016;41(8):12.
Durban, South Africa—Data presented at the AIDS 2016 conference show that the dapivirine vaginal ring provides significant protection against HIV infection in women. New analyses of two large phase III clinical trials in Africa (The Ring Study and ASPIRE) found that HIV risk was cut by at least 56% in women who used the monthly ring consistently. Additional subgroup analyses of women who appeared to use the ring the most suggest that the product reduced HIV risk by 75% or more. Based on these results, two open-label studies are being launched to provide an assessment of “real world” usage. Despite advances in antiretroviral therapy and preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), HIV continues to spread at alarming rates among women in sub-Saharan Africa.
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