International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM)

DF/Net has been working with IPM since 2007 on over sixteen microbicide studies, including the current large-scale IPM 027 clinical trial, The Ring Study. The Ring Study is designed to determine whether a monthly vaginal ring that delivers the ARV drug dapivirine helps prevent HIV infection in women and is safe for long-term use. The first efficacy study of a vaginal ring for HIV prevention, The Ring Study is expected to enroll 1,650 women ages 18-45 across four sites in South Africa over the coming months.

IPM’s mission is to prevent HIV transmission by accelerating the development and availability of safe and effective microbicides for use by women in developing countries. IPM is dedicated to providing women with affordable and self-initiated HIV-prevention strategies they can use to protect their own health. Founded in 2002 as a product development partnership, IPM has become an important partner in the microbicide field.

IPM also engages and collaborates with advocates and global health leaders to raise awareness about microbicides and other HIV prevention products worldwide. Through their working partnerships at the local and national level in developing countries, IPM has helped build health research infrastructure in parts of the world where the need for health research is greatest.

For more information on IPM and their important global research, please refer to their web site at:

http://www.ipmglobal.org/