Health First Research » women\\\\\\\’s health http://www.healthfirstresearch.com Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:54:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Early study shows AIDS-fighting gel promising http://www.healthfirstresearch.com/health-research/early-study-shows-aids-fighting-gel-promising http://www.healthfirstresearch.com/health-research/early-study-shows-aids-fighting-gel-promising#comments Mon, 09 Feb 2009 06:00:59 +0000 admin http://healthfirstresearch.com/health-research/early-study-shows-aids-fighting-gel-promising An experimental vaginal gel has shown some promise in preventing infection from the AIDS virus — the first study to offer hope that a microbicide may soon join the medical arsenal in the international battle against HIV, scientists announced Monday. The multi-country study suggests a gel made by Massachusetts-based Indevus Pharmaceuticals Inc. Scientists have been trying to develop gels and other microbicides for women to use as protection in parts of the world where their partners may refuse to use condoms. “This is the first study that now shows we have a promising candidate,” said Salim Abdool Karim, the South African researcher who presented the results. About 3,100 women participated in the study, which was designed mainly to test whether it was safe. One-quarter of them used the Indevus gel, which is supposed to block the AIDS virus from attaching to certain white blood cells. The rest were given a placebo gel, or no gel at all. The study was done in South Africa, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the United States, and was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Researchers found that women who used the Indevus-made gel had a 30 percent lower rate of HIV infection than the other women in the study. Such a study of the Indevus gel, involving 9,400 African women, is to conclude in August.

Mike Stobbe

AP

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