Two studies have shown a vaginal ring containing the antiretroviral drug dapivirine is safe and reduces the risk of infection by up to 56% A NEW tool for women to protect themselves against HIV is a step closer, with the announcement on Monday that a vaginal ring containing the antiretroviral drug dapivirine is safe and reduces the risk of infection by up to 56%.The results of two phase 3 studies — the Ring Study and ASPIRE — were released on Monday at the annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston, paving the way for the developers of the ring to apply for regulatory approval.More than 4,500 women were enrolled in the two studies, which each included volunteers from SA.The announcement is significant not only because these are the first studies to demonstrate a vaginal ring can effectively deliver a sustained release antiretroviral to reduce the risk of HIV infection, but also because it is the first time two separate microbicide trials have confirmed ...
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