A cream, gel or suppository that can be discreetly inserted into the vagina before sex. Ideally it would kill or block not only HIV but also other sexually transmitted infections. For the many women, especially in developing countries, wanting to have children, we also need a microbicide which is not a spermicide. This does not represent typical use. Research and Development is being done by small biotechnology companies, individual academic researchers, on shoestring budgets.
Development costs tens of millions of dollars which only the big pharmaceutical companies have.
Advocates argue that the potential market is larger than this. Some advocates say candidate microbicides should be distributed at low cost to women in need, before further testing.