VIVAGEL
On October 16, 2007, StarPharma - an Australian bio-tech and sponsor of the candidate microbicide VivaGel - announced an agreement with SSL International (the makers of Durex condoms) to pursue a condom-coating microbicide product.  This announcement elicited a number of questions and concerns from advocates and researchers.  The International Rectal Microbicides Working Group (IRMWG) and GCM spearheaded an advocacy response and drafted a letter to StarPharma outlining some of the questions and concerns being prompted by their announcement. Within 3 days, StarPharma responded.

Read the letter to StarPharma
Read StarPharma's response

In June 2006, similar questions arose when StarPharma announced the beginning of trials to test the effectiveness of VivaGel for the prevention of genital herpes.  Read the press release and StarPharma's response to advocate's questions.

SAVVY
On September 19, 2007 Family Health International (FHI) provided an update on the data obtained through their trials of Savvy (C31G) in Ghana and Nigeria. 

Statement from Family Health International
Q&A: Answering Hard Questions on the Savvy Trial Results

MIRA
On July 13, 2007 the MIRA (Methods for Improving Reproductive Health in Africa) diaphragm study released their findings. In the context of this overall HIV prevention package, it was found that there was no added protective benefit from the diaphragm and lubricant and it is NOT recommended that a diaphragm be used or promoted for HIV prevention. Read more...

CELLULOSE SULFATE
At the end of January 2007, the Data Safety and Monitoring Boards (DSMB) of CONRAD met and based on a review of preliminary data, recommended that the Phase III trial of the candidate microbicide Cellulose Sulfate (CS) in Benin, India, Uganda and South Africa be discontinued. Read more...

In early 2008, GCM posed a series of questions to the former principal investigators of the CS trials to follow-up on what progress has been made.  Read their responses.

MALE CIRCUMCISION
In December 2006, an interim analysis conducted by the Data Safety Monitoring Board overseeing the Kenyan and Ugandan male circumcision trials made the decision to discontinue the trials due to overwhelming evidence that circumcision significantly reduces HIV risk among men. Read more…

NONOXYNOL-9
Nonoxynol-9 (or N-9) is the active ingredient in most over-the-counter birth control products available in the United States, Canada and Europe. Until recently, scientists believed that vaginal use of nonoxynol-9 offered some – albeit limited – protection against bacterial STIs such as gonorrhea and chlamydia. There was also early hope that N-9 could provide protection against HIV. However, after a long and complicated history of testing, scientists have concluded that products containing N-9 do not offer protection against HIV and, in fact, may increase risk of HIV transmission when used frequently. From this experience, some people have assumed that because N-9 did not work as a microbicide that the entire concept of anti-infective microbicides has been proven not to work. This conclusion, however, is wrong and misleading. Read more…