The main goal of the project is to determine if a vaginal microbicide candidate is an effective and safe method for preventing HIV transmission. CONRAD plans to meet this goal by completing two Phase III HIV prevention trials with a gel consisting of 6% cellulose sulfate (CS), also known as Ushercell, developed by CONRAD in collaboration with Polydex Pharmaceuticals Limited, a publicly quoted (POLXF, Nasdaq) Canadian company. One trial, implemented by CONRAD, will be conducted in India and four African countries. This trials will be funded equally by the Gates Foundation and USAID. The other trial, initiated in late 2004 in Nigeria in collaboration with Family Health International (FHI), is entirely supported by USAID.
Previous funding from the Gates Foundation and USAID provided support for studies that demonstrated an excellent safety profile for CS. Henry Gabelnick, Ph.D, Director of CONRAD said, "An urgent need exists to provide additional means of prevention of HIV/AIDS transmission as rapidly as possible. Although male and female condoms can provide protection, they are not used sufficiently and consistently. The availability of a microbicide that can be used by a woman to protect herself has a good probability of being this necessary alternative."
George Usher, President and CEO of Polydex Pharmaceuticals Limited, said "My thanks and gratitude at this announcement must go to the researchers and scientists at CONRAD for pursuing the development of Ushercell as a potential microbicide, and for
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Contact: Henry Gabelnick
hgabelnick@conrad.org
703-276-3904
CONRAD
3-May-2005