A ring slowly sets this over the course of a monthantiretroviral drug Dapivirinfree to provide protection against HIV for women. You can use the product and replace it every month. The non-profit International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) recently announced World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification for the vaginal ring.
Novel and promising protection against HIV
The WHO designation confirms that the ring meets global standards for quality, safety and effectiveness. The product's inclusion on the WHO Prequalified Medicines List will guide national and global procurement decisions. This applies if there are no official approvals for use yet. The prequalification of the ring follows a positive scientific opinion from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the product in July 2020 under Article 58. This brings the product an important step closer to being available to women who want new options in HIV prevention . The main goal is to make the ring available in sub-Saharan Africa first. Women there are exposed to a persistently high risk of HIV. The WHO program facilitates access to quality-assured medicines that respond to urgent public health priorities. Many countries take prequalification into account in their regulatory reviews.
Women bear a disproportionate burden of the global epidemic of HIV and AIDS. Almost 60% of new infections in adults in sub-Saharan Africa occur in women. The drug ring could help fill an important gap with a long-acting product. It could be used discreetly to reduce the risk of HIV during vaginal sex. Made from flexible silicone, the HIV protection slowly releases the antiretroviral drug dapivirine and minimally absorbs it elsewhere in the body. Expanding women's options so they can choose the method that best suits their individual needs, whether systemic or non-systemic, long-acting, daily or as-needed, is critical to combating the epidemic.
Future perspectives
IPM will initially seek approvals for the use of the ring in Eastern and Southern Africa, where it is urgently needed. The first applications for approval will begin this year as part of a collaborative process led by the WHO. It accelerates the review of approvals by countries for products that have received a positive opinion from the EMA or another strict regulatory authority. The manufacturer will also submit an application to the US Food and Drug Administration in 2020.
