Vaginal Contraceptive/HIV Fighter Seems Promising
Reuters Health
DECEMBER 5, 2002
An experimental vaginal gel appears to be a safe, effective contraceptive, according to animal studies. The compound, SAMMA, blocked HIV and two strains of herpes simplex virus in laboratory testing. Investigators believe the encouraging results justify further testing.
"The tests performed so far suggest a high degree of safety," reported the team led by Dr. Lourens J.D. Zaneveld of Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago. The full report, "Use of Mandelic Acid Condensation Polymer (SAMMA), a New Antimicrobial Contraceptive Agent, for Vaginal Prophylaxis," was published in the November issue of Fertility and Sterility (2002;78:1107-1115). Zaneveld and colleagues noted that "a US patent on the microbial and contraceptive properties of SAMMA has been granted." The research results to date "support completion of the preclinical studies and evaluation of SAMMA in clinical trials."
Public health officials have long wanted an anti-STD option, such as a vaginal cream or gel that would allow women more control than condoms. In regions of the world where AIDS is widespread and condom use is infrequent, the need is acute.
Researchers once speculated that vaginal creams containing the spermicide nonoxynol-9 would block the spread of HIV. Later, they found that nonoxynol-9 actually increased a woman's risk of contracting HIV because it could destroy healthy vaginal cells and "good" bacteria.
Investigators working with the Program for the Topical Prevention of Conception and Disease, a not-for-profit Chicago- based group, discovered that SAMMA has the potential to prevent pregnancy and fight a number of STDs without harming normal cells or disrupting the healthy environment of the vagina.
In recent tests, SAMMA did not kill sperm in human semen, but it did block sperm function. In animal tests, the gel reduced pregnancy rates by more than 90 percent. It blocked HIV, HSV-1 and HSV-2 and inhibited the growth of gonorrhea, but had a weaker effect on chlamydia.