Vaginal Rings have been proven to reduce HIV infection among women, researchers have established.
According to findings presented at a press briefing at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Boston by U.S based organisations: the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) and ASPIRE, trials of a vaginal ring that slowly secretes an antiretroviral (dapivirine) drug into the vagina found it reduced infections by about 30%.
The research involved a total of 4500 women aged between 18-45 in Uganda, Malawi, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, and experts from both organisations noted that the findings were ‘enormous victories’.
“The good news is the trials provide a consistent finding: The ring provided modest protection,” said Mitchell Warren, who heads AVAC, a nonprofit organisation in New York City that advocates for HIV prevention.
The ASPIRE trial found 27% efficacy overall, while the second trial—called The Ring Study—found a 31% efficacy. However, it was revealed that the ring was not so effective for women aged 18 to 21, with only 15% protection in the Ring Study and no protection at all for ASPIRE’s first trial.
Experts attributed the low protection percentage to younger women not wearing the ring for the entire 28 days between each study visit. They noticed levels of dapivirine—which go down each day that the rings are used—were higher in some used rings than others. Greater protection occurred when there was less dapivirine left.
However, the ring was effective in women over 21 years, with over 56% protection in the ASPIRE trial and 37% in The Ring Study. No serious safety concerns were recorded in either study.
Each study—held in parallel to speed up regulatory approval—cost an estimated $72 million. In the near future researchers hope to test higher levels of the drug—or more potent antiretrovirals—in vaginal rings. They also plan to make the product more appealing to women by combining anti-HIV drugs with contraceptive hormones, which are already sold worldwide in vaginal rings. It is anticipated that each ring initially will sell for about $5.
