Vaginal polymer ring delivers long-term HIV-preventing drug

Biological engineers at Northwestern University have developed a drug-releasing vaginal ring that could help women control their own HIV-prevention regimen in AIDS-stricken regions. The ring, which delivers a powdered version of the antiretroviral drug tenofovir for up to 30 days at a time, showed a 100% success rate in animal models and will enter a clinical trial in November. Its polymer material allows it to deliver up to 1,000 times more of the drug than models currently on the market. The university reports that the easy-to-use ring could replace treatments such as daily pills or vaginal gels that demonstrate lower levels of compliance. More