New Contraceptive Lasts For Three Months And Protects Against HIV And Pregnancy

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An intravaginal ring that works as a contraceptive while also killing HIV and herpes has been announced in PLOS One. Although it does not provide protection against the broad spectrum of sexual transmitted infections that condoms offer, a single device is expected to retain its effectiveness for three months.

The ring is inserted into the vagina and releases tenofovir, an antiretroviral that kills HIV and herpes, and levonorgestrel, a contraceptive. "A lot of engineering has gone into developing the ring," said Dr Patrick Kiser of Northwestern University, senior author of the paper. "It represents two Ph.D. theses—one Ph.D. for the larger section containing the antiretroviral drug and another Ph.D. for the smaller section containing the contraceptive."

"The differences between the two drugs are huge, which presented us with a design challenge," Kiser said. "Tenofovir is highly water soluble while levonorgestrel is highly water insoluble. And the daily dose is different: the ring delivers about 10 milligrams of tenofovir and only 10 micrograms of levonorgestrel. Our scientific hurdle was finding a way to manufacture a dual-purpose ring that got the device into the clinic."

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