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Project Record

Objectives:

To prevent HIV transmission by accelerating the development and availability of safe and effective microbicides for use by women in developing countries.

Background:

Purpose of engagement:

The International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) is a not-for-profit foundation whose mission is to prevent HIV transmission by accelerating the development and availability of safe and effective microbicides for use by women in developing countries. An effective microbicide will not only protect women against HIV inflection, but also interrupt the cycle of transmission from and to men and to newborns by preventing infection in the mothers. IPM was established in 2002 to identify and address gaps and bottlenecks in the development of and subsequent access to microbicides. IPM establishes collaborations to develop highly promising drugs, conduct research to optimise formulations and delivery methods, and develop clinical trial sites to facilitate the future conduct of large-scale efficacy studies.

DFID engagement Strategy/DFID line:

Tackling HIV fits within the DFID Research Funding Framework 2005-2007 priority of killer diseases. Supporting IPM fits within the Framework's recommendation of support for public-private partnerships, which has been elaborated upon in the recent development in CRD of the PDP strategy paper Investing in new tools for HIV, malaria and tuberculosis through Public Private Partnerships. The proposed support for IPM will provide added value to existing investment by DFID in the Microbicides Development Programme (MDP) Phase III clinical trial of the microbicide PRO 2000. IPM is supporting developments of licensing, marketing and distribution that will be of value if PRO 2000 is found to be effective. It is also supporting basic research and clinical trials work that will enable the field to build on the work of MDP to produce more effective microbicides.

General Notes:

For a list of the international funders and partners involved in the project, click here.

See the next phase of the project.