SYDNEY, Aug 1 (AFP) - An Australian company said Friday it was preparing for human trials of an hi-tech gel that had been 100 percent effective in preventing HIV infection in monkeys.
Biotech company Starpharma was given permission by the US Food and Drug Administration to test its product VivaGel on humans and the tests were likely to proceed in Australia in the next three months.
Starpharma chief executive John Raff said the gel contained a protein that prevented the HIV virus from connecting to healthy cells and infecting them.
"There's no doubt this works on monkeys, now we've got to see if we get the same results with humans," he said.
Raff said the gel, which is inserted into the vagina before sex, could be a major breakthrough in preventing HIV infection, particularly in developing countries.
"There's 42 million people with HIV worldwide and the number is expected to double in 10 years, so if we can get an effective preventative measure out there you can do the sums on what the impact could be," he said.
"At the moment they've got drugs to keep you alive but there's nothing to stop infection."
Starpharma development manager Tom McCarthy said while condoms remained an excellent barrier to HIV, the gel would allow women to take control when men refused to cooperate.
"The goal of the product is to lower the risk of HIV infection in women ... for example, they don't have to negotiate for the use of a condom with a male," said.
"The long-term benefits are in offering women the ability to control the risk of infection with STDs, especially HIV but also diseases such as herpes and chlamydia."
Raff said it was likely to be at least four years before VivaGel passed clinical trials and reached the market.
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