Clinical trial NCT00074425: BufferGel and PRO 2000/5: Vaginal Gels to Prevent HIV Infection in Women
Official title: Phase II/IIb Safety and Effectiveness Study of the Vaginal Microbicides BufferGel and 0.5% PRO 2000/5 Gel (P) for the Prevention of HIV Infection in Women
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: PHASE2
Conditions: HIV Infections
Keywords: HIV Seronegativity
Anti-Infective Agents, Local
BufferGel
PRO 2000
Vagina
Risk Factors
Lead sponsor: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Sponsor class: NIH
Collaborators: name: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
name: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
name: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
name: HIV Prevention Trials Network
First posted: 2003-12-15
Enrollment: 3101
Sex: FEMALE
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: FACTORIAL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: The majority of HIV infected people worldwide became infected with the virus through heterosexual contact. BufferGel and PRO 2000 Gel are vaginal gels designed to prevent women from becoming infected with HIV during sexual intercourse with an HIV infected partner. This study will test the safety and effectiveness of these gels.

Detailed description: Accessible, usable, and effective vaginal microbicides could significantly decrease the spread of HIV. Vaginal microbicides could be used with condoms to prevent HIV infection; they could also be used in situations in which an individual is unable to negotiate condom use. Vaginal microbicides are potentially bidirectional, preventing both male-to-female and female-to-male HIV transmission. This study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of two vaginal microbicides, BufferGel and PRO 2000/5, in preventing the transmission of HIV. The study will also evaluate the effectiveness of these gels in preventing other common sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

BufferGel is a buffering agent designed to maintain normal vaginal acidity in the presence of ejaculate. Studies have shown that HIV is inactivated below a pH of 4 to 5.8. Carbopol 974, the major nonaqueous component of BufferGel, is commonly used as a gelling or tableting agent and has a well-documented safety record. BufferGel has proven safe and well tolerated in Phase I studies. PRO 2000/5 inhibits viral entry into susceptible cells. PRO 2000/5 has also been evaluated in Phase I studies and was found to be safe and well tolerated.

Participants in this study will be randomly assigned to receive one of four interventions: BufferGel, PRO 2000/5, placebo gel, or no gel. All participants will receive HIV risk reduction counseling, condoms, and diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Participants in the three gel arms will be given single-use, prefilled applicators of gel and will be instructed to apply one dose of the product (BufferGel, PRO 2000/5, or placebo gel) intravaginally up to 60 minutes before each vaginal intercourse while in the study.

Participants will be enrolled for approximately 12 to 30 months, depending on when they enter the study. Participants will have two screening study visits and then monthly visits. Monthly study visits may take place at a clinic, the participant's home, or other community site. Monthly visits will include a medical interview; urine testing, including pregnancy testing; HIV and sexually transmitted infection risk reduction counseling; and distribution of study supplies (condoms and gel-filled applicators). Blood collection will occur at selected monthly visits. Four times a year, participants will be seen in the clinic for a more structured medical interview, pelvic exam, and HIV testing. At one of these visits, participants at particular sites who are willing will be asked to complete a behavioral risk assessment. At some visits vaginal fluid swabs will occur. Participants at non-US study sites will be asked for permission for these swabs to be stored for further testing. Assessment interviews will be both face to face and self-reporting.

Eligibility criteria: Note: Per the 12/15/06 amendment, all study participants will now enter the Phase IIb study.

Inclusion Criteria:

* HIV uninfected
* Have had sexual intercourse at least once in the 3 months prior to study entry
* Able to provide adequate contact information to study officials for purposes of follow-up

Exclusion Criteria:

* History of adverse reaction to latex
* Nonmedical injection drug use in the 12 months prior to study entry
* Vaginal intercourse more than an average of two times per day in the 2 weeks prior to study entry
* Plan to become pregnant in the 30 months after study entry
* Plan to travel away from the study site for more than 3 consecutive months in the 30 months after study entry
* Plan to relocate away from the study site in the 30 months after study entry
* Participation in another clinical trial of a vaginal product
* Pregnant within 42 days of study entry
* Have a sexually transmitted disease or other reproductive tract infection diagnosed by study staff
* Abnormal pelvic exam indicating deep epithelial disruption
* Condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, may interfere with the study
* Liver or kidney function abnormality of Grade 3 or higher
* Blood or blood clotting abnormality of Grade 4 or higher

Primary outcomes:
measure: Safety of BufferGel and 0.5% PRO 2000/5 Gel (P), as assessed by deep epithelial disruption, other genital symptoms, or other systemic symptoms
timeFrame: Throughout study
measure: HIV infection as measured by seroconversion
timeFrame: Throughout study
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Bacterial vaginosis
timeFrame: Throughout study
measure: Chlamydia infection
timeFrame: Throughout study
measure: Genital ulcer disease
timeFrame: Throughout study
measure: Gonorrhea infection
timeFrame: Throughout study
measure: Herpes simplex virus-2 infection
timeFrame: Throughout study
measure: Pregnancy
timeFrame: Throughout study
measure: Syphilis infection
timeFrame: Throughout study
measure: Trichomoniasis
timeFrame: Throughout study
measure: Acceptability of study product
timeFrame: At Month 3 and study exit
measure: Number of behavioral risk assessment questions not answered in self-reported interviews
timeFrame: Throughout study
measure: Rates of condom use versus gel use
timeFrame: Throughout study
measure: Establishment of a repository of vaginal swab specimens for long-term storage and future research testing on biomarkers of microbicide safety and effectiveness
timeFrame: Throughout study
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Philadelphia
country: United States
facility: 3535 Market Street CRS
state: Pennsylvania
city: Lilongwe
country: Malawi
facility: University of North Carolina Lilongwe CRS
state: Central
city: Blantyre
country: Malawi
facility: College of Med. JHU CRS
state: Southern
city: Chatsworth
country: South Africa
facility: Chatsworth CRS
state: KwaZulu-Natal
city: Durban
country: South Africa
facility: Med. Research Council-Hlabisa
state: KwaZulu-Natal
city: Lusaka
country: Zambia
facility: Kamwala Clinic CRS
city: Chitungwiza
country: Zimbabwe
facility: Seke South CRS
city: Harare
country: Zimbabwe
facility: Spilhaus CRS
Study officials:
affiliation: University of KwaZulu-Natal, Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine
name: Salim Abdool Karim, MBChB, PhD
role: STUDY_CHAIR
affiliation: School of Medicine, University of North Carolina
name: Irving Hoffman, PA, MPH
role: STUDY_CHAIR
affiliation: University of Pennsylvania
name: Lisa Maslankowski, MD
role: STUDY_CHAIR
affiliation: Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia
name: Groesbeck Parham, MD
role: STUDY_CHAIR
affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco; AIDS Research Institute
name: Nancy Padian, PhD
role: STUDY_CHAIR
affiliation: Medical Research Council, HIV Prevention Research Unit
name: Gita Ramjee, PhD
role: STUDY_CHAIR
affiliation: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
name: Taha Taha, MD
role: STUDY_CHAIR
References:
citation: Mayer KH, Peipert J, Fleming T, Fullem A, Moench T, Cu-Uvin S, Bentley M, Chesney M, Rosenberg Z. Safety and tolerability of BufferGel, a novel vaginal microbicide, in women in the United States. Clin Infect Dis. 2001 Feb 1;32(3):476-82. doi: 10.1086/318496. Epub 2001 Jan 26.
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citation: Guffey MB, Richardson B, Husnik M, Makanani B, Chilongozi D, Yu E, Ramjee G, Mgodi N, Gomez K, Hillier SL, Karim SA; HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) 035 Study Team. HPTN 035 phase II/IIb randomised safety and effectiveness study of the vaginal microbicides BufferGel and 0.5% PRO 2000 for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections in women. Sex Transm Infect. 2014 Aug;90(5):363-9. doi: 10.1136/sextrans-2014-051537. Epub 2014 Jun 4.
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