NAM-AVAC Microbicides Webinar

This 90-minute webinar examined the current state of research into topical microbicides – gels, lubes and devices that can be used to prevent HIV transmission during sex. It provided advocates with an overview of global and European topical microbicide research. The presentations were followed by a question and answer session with our expert speakers.

The discussion was moderated by Gus Cairns. He is a writer at NAM, where he edits HIV treatment update and Preventing HIV. He also edits the HIV prevention news: Europe bulletin as part of NAM’s programme of European prevention advocacy. He is a member of the European AIDS Treatment Group, co-chair of the Steering Committee of the PROUD PrEP trial, and a member of the steering committee of the Global Forum for MSM and HIV.

Presenters:

• Dr Sheena McCormack – Overview of topical microbicide research.

  McCormack is Senior Clinical Scientist at the Clinical Trials Unit of the UK Medical Research Council. She is Principal Investigator of the Microbicides Development Programme, which ran the MDP 301 Phase III microbicide trial in four countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and of the recently started PROUD trial of Truvada pre-exposure prophylaxis in UK gay men.

• Dr Charles Kelly – News from the CHAARM microbicides research consortium

  Kelly, of King’s College London, is co-ordinator of the Combined Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Microbicides (CHAARM) programme, a collaborative project co-funded by the European Union under the 7th Framework Programme (FP7) for Research and Technological Development. CHAARM is a consortium of 31 partners representing 9 different countries in Europe including Ukraine, as well as South Africa and the US, with a €12m budget.

• Jeremy Nuttall – Update on IPM’s pipeline: the dapivirine ring and beyond

  Nuttall is the Senior Director of Preclinical Sciences and Product Development for the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM), where he is responsible for the preclinical testing of candidate microbicides and has broader product development responsibilities. Jeremy joined IPM in 2003 and has over 25 years of experience in drug development. Prior to IPM he worked as a toxicologist in contract research organisations and spent over 8 years in regulatory affairs at GlaxoSmithKline.

• Harriet Langanke – Community advocacy for microbicides in Europe

  Langanke is founder and director of GSSG: Gemeinnützige Stiftung Sexualität und Gesundheit, the German Foundation on sexuality and health. She is a journalist who has worked in the field of HIV and sexual health since 1991; she is also one of the co-founders of Germany’s national network Women and AIDS which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. As an expert for HIV and STI prevention she works primarily for and with women.