Are microbicides currently available?
No. Scientists are currently testing many substances to see whether they help protect against HIV and/or other STDs, but no safe and effective microbicide is currently available to the public. However, scientists are seriously pursuing over 60 product leads, including at least 18 that have proven safe and effective in animals and are now being tested in people. If one of these leads proves successful and with sufficient investment, a successful microbicide could be on the market by the end of the decade.
Advertisement No. Scientists are currently testing many substances to see whether they help protect against HIV and/or other STIs, but no safe and effective microbicide is currently available to the public. However, scientists are seriously perusing over 50 product leads, including 11 that have proven safe and effective in animals and are now being tested in people. Results from the trials now furthest along could become available in 2009, but it will take additional time for the products to be reviewed and approved for licensure — at least 1-2 years. Thus, a microbicide could be ready for introduction in the next five years, but that would only happen in a few countries, and most likely through smaller scale introductory programmes. If the current set of products in effectiveness trials does not prove effective, the time horizon will be longer. There are several second-generation leads already in human testing, so we need to ensure that the entire pipeline continues to advance.
