Instead, Inc. Licenses Promising Microbicide from Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center.Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers BIOWIRE2K DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 10, 2003 Formulation shows promise in preventing AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, as well as unplanned pregnancies. Instead, Inc. has signed an agreement with Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, under which it has obtained an exclusive worldwide license to develop and sell a microbicide, currently called Acidform, that has shown potential for use as a contraceptive and for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases Sexually transmitted diseases Infections that are acquired and transmitted by sexual contact. Although virtually any infection may be transmitted during intimate contact, the term sexually transmitted disease is restricted to conditions that are largely (STDs) including HIV. Instead's president, Mary Frost said the company plans to proceed as quickly as possible to commence the next round of clinical trials in the US and in several other countries. "These trials will be designed to prove product efficacy for both the anti-STD and contraceptive applications, therefore we will be seeking guidance from the Food and Drug Administration in order to structure the trials so that these claims can be reviewed and tested as expeditiously as possible," she said. Acidform, is an acid-buffering, bio-adhesive, long-lasting formulation that has been developed by Rush's Program for the Topical Prevention of Conception and Disease (TOPCAD). According to TOPCAD director Lourens J.D. Zaneveld, DVM, PhD, the ingredients form a protective coating over the vaginal surface and cervix while maintaining a woman's natural acidic pH level. Spermatozoa spermatozoa see spermatozoon. and many STD-causing microbes, including HIV, are disabled at this level. Dr. Zaneveld, who is also a Professor and Director of the Section of Research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology obstetrics and gynecology Medical and surgical specialty concerned with the management of pregnancy and childbirth and with the health of the female reproductive system. at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago, noted that Acidform is composed of compounds which are generally accepted as safe by the FDA. "It has no active ingredient per se, rather it is the combination of ingredients that work together to maintain the natural protective acidity of the normal vaginal environment, even in the presence of alkaline semen." Acidform has been under development at TOPCAD since 1995 and has undergone a series of laboratory (in vitro) studies, animal studies and two Phase I clinical trials. A recent clinical trial showed high spermicidal effectiveness even eight hours after application of the gel. The long-term effectiveness allows insertion of Acidform hours before anticipated intercourse. Another clinical study confirmed the safety of the product when used consecutively for six days. Dr. Zaneveld noted that the development of Acidform has been and continues to be a collaborative effort that has included researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago This article is about the University of Illinois at Chicago. For other uses, see University of Illinois at Chicago (disambiguation). UIC participates in NCAA Division I Horizon League competition as the UIC Flames in several sports, most notably Basketball. ; University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil; the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Nagar
With an enrollment of approximately 167 students per class, USU School of Medicine is located in Bethesda, Maryland on the in Bethesda; The Milton Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pa.; and the Institute for Reproductive Health in Monterey, Calif. Financial support for the development of ACIDFORM has been provided primarily by the Contraceptive Research and Development Program (CONRAD) and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is a foundation endowed with wealth accumulated by the late Andrew W. Mellon. It is the product of the 1969 merger of the Avalon Foundation and the Old Dominion Foundation. . CONRAD is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), The Centers for Disease Control, the Gates Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation and various other sponsors. While Instead plans to raise additional private equity capital to fund the upcoming clinical trials and product launch, Frost said that the company also desires to continue a cooperative relationship with these collaborators and the foundations and public sector funding organizations. "This way we can assure the product will be available to women throughout the world, regardless of their economic status." Frost, referencing surveys conducted by the European Commission AIDS Project, the Guttmacher Institute and the University of Campinas, Brazil, said that the worldwide market for women willing to pay the same price for an STD preventive, such as Acidform, as they would for a condom, is in excess of $10 billion. The US market alone approaches $900 million. Instead, has been supported by a small group of private investors who have a long history of investing in socially responsible projects in the fields of environmental remediation and reproductive health. The company is headquartered in Carrollton, Texas. |
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