Anti-HIV cream for women

Two major pharmaceutical companies are teaming up with an international AIDS organization to develop creams or thickeners to help women avoid HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Merck and Bristol-Myers-Squibb are giving the International Association of Free Disinfectants the right to produce some compounds used to prevent HIV before the virus enters human tissue.

AIDS prevention organizations are particularly concerned about the impact of HIV on women because women are more likely to be infected with HIV than men, partly because of biological reasons, partly because they are less able to control the method. sex activities.

An effective disinfectant in the form of a cream or gel applied to the vagina before sex may help prevent HIV infection, even in the absence of a condom.

These compounds, which are being published before the International Association of Antiseptics, attack the type of structure that AIDS viruses still use to penetrate human cells.

The publication of these compounds from within the initial research phase is being welcomed by the Association, as it will help speed up the testing process and prove its effectiveness.

These compounds are relatively easy to produce, so people are hoping that they will be produced cheaply worldwide.

The International Association of Antiseptics wants to give a US dollar price for each use. In the long run, vaccination is still seen as a key measure to fight AIDS.

But vaccines are difficult to make, and disinfectants are now being considered as the primary weapon in battle to prevent the cycle of infection.