5 April 2005
International Development Secretary Hilary Benn today announced the UK Government is to provide £24m to fund a final stage field trial to assess the effectiveness of a microbicide gel in preventing HIV infection in women.
In a joint announcement, the Medical Research Council (MRC) also announced an additional £2m for the trial, bringing total funding for the three and a half year trial to £26m.
If proved effective, microbicides are substances that could offer women protection against infection from HIV. They have been developed into creams and gels that can be applied before sex.
Hilary Benn said:
“AIDS is the biggest killer in Africa. Most new HIV infections occur among young African women.
“Women vulnerable to infection are frequently unable to refuse sex or to insist on the use of a condom. The £26m announced today will fund a final stage trial of a microbicide gel that, if effective, could help women to protect themselves against HIV infection and help reverse the spread of the disease globally.
“Research has shown that an effective microbicide, could prevent up to 2.5 million people worldwide from HIV infection over three years.”
Professor Janet Darbyshire, Director of the MRC’s Clinical Trials Unit, said:
“This is fantastic news. The funding will take us one step further towards identifying an effective microbicide – a crucial element of our effort to reduce HIV transmission.”
The trial is being conducted by the Microbicides Development Programme (MDP), which is funded by DFID and the MRC and coordinated by the MRC Clinical Trials Unit and Imperial College London’s Clinical trials centre.
The microbicide gel being trialled is called PRO2000 and the MRC’s Clinical Trials Unit will test its effectiveness and safety, starting in four African countries: Uganda, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. The trial is expected to begin within 4 months and will run for 39 months. A further six months will be needed to finalise analyses and report on findings.
Notes to editors
1. 57 per cent of the 25 million adults in sub-Sahara Africa infected with HIV are women. The highest incidence of new infections is among women. The reasons why HIV is spreading so rapidly among women are complex; they are rooted in the social, cultural and economic context of women’s everyday lives and circumstance; and in situations in which women frequently do not have control over sexual relations. Women are also biologically more susceptible to HIV infection than men. Women’s vulnerability to HIV infection is increased in conditions of poverty. Microbicides could contribute substantially to efforts to provide women with more choice in methods to protect themselves and to reduce rates of HIV infection.
2. The UK Government was one of the first governments in the world to provide support to initial microbicide research, assessment work and advocacy. Since 1999, DFID has provided £18 million for research and development. This includes the existing five-year grant of £16 million to the Microbicides Development Programme; support to the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) to accelerate their discovery, development and accessibility; funding for International Family Health (IFH) and to the Population Council to enable policy dialogue and action for microbicides development and access.
3. The Department for International Development (DFID) is the UK Government department responsible for promoting sustainable development and reducing poverty. The central focus of the Government’s policy is a commitment to the internationally agreed Millennium Development Goals to be achieved by 2015. These seek to:
- a.Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
- b.Achieve universal primary education
- c.Promote gender equality and empower women
- d.Reduce child mortality
- e.Improve maternal health
- f.Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
- g.Ensure environmental sustainability
- h.Develop a global partnership for development
4. The Medical Research Council (MRC) is a national organisation funded by the UK tax-payer. Its business is medical research aimed at improving human health; everyone stands to benefit from the outputs. The research it supports and the scientists it trains meet the needs of the health services, the pharmaceutical and other health-related industries and the academic world. MRC has funded work, which has led to some of the most significant discoveries and achievements in medicine in the UK. About half of the MRC’s expenditure of £450 million is invested in its 40 Institutes, Units and Centres. The remaining half goes in the form of grant support and training awards to individuals and teams in universities and medical schools. Web site at: http://www.mrc.ac.uk
5. The Clinical Trials Unit was formed by the amalgamation of the MRC HIV Clinical Trials Centre and MRC Cancer Trials Office and supports trials in a wide range of specialties. While maintaining a portfolio of high-quality research in cancer and HIV trials, it will also undertake research in areas such as rheumatoid arthritis, respiratory disorders, infectious diseases, geriatrics, complementary medicine, mental health and surgery.
For further information please call:
Geraldine Platten, DFID press office 020 7023 0600
Lisa Knowles, MRC press office 020 7670 5139
