Finding the missing link in HIV battle
25 July 2010, 12:12
South Africa is moving fast to consolidate the scientific breakthrough announced this week by local HIV and Aids experts, who showed that a vaginal gel containing an antiretroviral could prevent HIV in 40 percent of women.
Dr Mamphela Ramphele, chairwoman of government's Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) said TIA's affiliate, LifeLab, would work with the private sector to produce the gel containing tenofovir for further use.
"TIA, which was launched a year ago, aims to take intellectual property and turn it into goods, services and products," said Ramphele.
Pharmaceutical company Gilead owns the patent for tenofovir, but donated 21kg of the active ingredients of the antiretroviral (ARV) to the South African study. A research company, Conrad, then made the gel for the South African study.
Gilead has since given a free licence to both Conrad and the International Partnership for Microbicides to develop, manufacture and distribute the tenofovir gel in low-income countries.
"Tenofovir is one of the best ARVs available," according to Professor Salim Abdool Karim, who headed the gel trial with his wife, Dr Quarraisha Abdool Karim.
"It is one of the safest drugs available. It has a long active life inside the body and few people develop resistance."
The researchers, all from the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in SA (Caprisa), say another independent study is necessary to test whether the tenofovir gel could work in other areas.
In addition, says Caprisa's Dr Janet Frolich, it is important to look at whether women would prefer "diaphragms, rings, frames etcetera" and to see whether daily dosing with the gel or intermittent dosing worked better.
Caprisa has been lobbying researchers from other institutes in the country to get a South African study going as soon as possible.
Study investigator Dr Koleka Mlisana said Caprisa had hosted a meeting of key local researchers last week to reveal the results to them and plan the way forward. "We hope to fast-track the confirmatory study in South Africa and hope that something concrete is going to start soon," said Mlisana.
Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi said the government "will do everything in our power to take this forward and to make sure that everyone in our country and in the world, benefits from this study".
"Women bear the brunt of this epidemic and all our weapons so far, have been weapons controlled by men," he told the International Aids conference in Vienna this week.
"The condom is only used when men want. The female condom is also only used when men want. With male circumcision, again, it is young men who are protected. So, for the first time, we are dealing with the missing link."
Minister of Science and Technology Naledi Pandor said the study "signals new hope in our efforts to prevent HIV infection and is especially significant for Africa given the disproportionate burden of HIV infection in women".
Since 1999, the Department of Science and Technology has been investing in the research and development of microbicides, Aids vaccines and other prevention and treatment solutions. - Health-e News Service.
Additional reporting from Vienna by Sasha Wales-Smith.
Dr Mamphela Ramphele, chairwoman of government's Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) said TIA's affiliate, LifeLab, would work with the private sector to produce the gel containing tenofovir for further use.
"TIA, which was launched a year ago, aims to take intellectual property and turn it into goods, services and products," said Ramphele.
Pharmaceutical company Gilead owns the patent for tenofovir, but donated 21kg of the active ingredients of the antiretroviral (ARV) to the South African study. A research company, Conrad, then made the gel for the South African study.
Gilead has since given a free licence to both Conrad and the International Partnership for Microbicides to develop, manufacture and distribute the tenofovir gel in low-income countries.
"Tenofovir is one of the best ARVs available," according to Professor Salim Abdool Karim, who headed the gel trial with his wife, Dr Quarraisha Abdool Karim.
"It is one of the safest drugs available. It has a long active life inside the body and few people develop resistance."
The researchers, all from the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in SA (Caprisa), say another independent study is necessary to test whether the tenofovir gel could work in other areas.
In addition, says Caprisa's Dr Janet Frolich, it is important to look at whether women would prefer "diaphragms, rings, frames etcetera" and to see whether daily dosing with the gel or intermittent dosing worked better.
Caprisa has been lobbying researchers from other institutes in the country to get a South African study going as soon as possible.
Study investigator Dr Koleka Mlisana said Caprisa had hosted a meeting of key local researchers last week to reveal the results to them and plan the way forward. "We hope to fast-track the confirmatory study in South Africa and hope that something concrete is going to start soon," said Mlisana.
Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi said the government "will do everything in our power to take this forward and to make sure that everyone in our country and in the world, benefits from this study".
"Women bear the brunt of this epidemic and all our weapons so far, have been weapons controlled by men," he told the International Aids conference in Vienna this week.
"The condom is only used when men want. The female condom is also only used when men want. With male circumcision, again, it is young men who are protected. So, for the first time, we are dealing with the missing link."
Minister of Science and Technology Naledi Pandor said the study "signals new hope in our efforts to prevent HIV infection and is especially significant for Africa given the disproportionate burden of HIV infection in women".
Since 1999, the Department of Science and Technology has been investing in the research and development of microbicides, Aids vaccines and other prevention and treatment solutions. - Health-e News Service.
- This article was originally published on page 6 of The Sunday Independent on July 25, 2010
Pretoria
