Belgium Pledges €3 Million to HIV Prevention for Women

Support for Microbicide Development Announced on World AIDS Day

BRUSSELS (1 December 2006) – Momentum for HIV-prevention research advanced significantly today with the announcement of a €3 million grant from the government of Belgium to the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM). This first-ever grant to IPM from the Belgian government represents a considerable show of support for the development of microbicides for women in developing countries.

Announced in Brussels on World AIDS Day at a luncheon hosted by Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium, the Belgian Ministry of Development Cooperation will provide €3 million (US$3.9 million) to IPM over the next three years.

“We believe this is an important collaboration with global implications, and it shows our commitment to supporting microbicide research and development,” said Armand De Decker, Belgium’s Minister of Development Cooperation. “IPM has been working closely in partnership with Belgium-based Tibotec and the University of Ghent to advance microbicide development and we fully support these efforts.”

Microbicides are vaginal products being developed to reduce the transmission of HIV during sexual intercourse. A microbicide could take the form of a gel, cream, film, suppository or sponge, or be contained in a vaginal ring that releases the active ingredient gradually. A microbicide could also be in a new formulation and use a delivery method yet to be invented.

“IPM is pleased to acknowledge this generous and vital support from the government of Belgium,” said Dr. Zeda Rosenberg, Chief Executive Officer of IPM. “Microbicides to prevent HIV are desperately needed by women in developing countries and this commitment takes us one step closer to making them a reality. I am proud to be marking this day here in Brussels, where the Belgian government and our partners at Tibotec, the Institute of Tropical Medicine, the University of Ghent and others have shown great leadership on the issue of microbicides.”

“Belgium’s announcement looks to the long-term and will further encourage the research and development of microbicides which will benefit the developing world,” said Dr. Paul Stoffels, Company Group Chairman, Global Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals Group, Johnson & Johnson and co-founder of Tibotec. “Belgium and its people have played a unique role providing political, financial, technical and moral support in this important endeavor.”

TMC120, also known as dapivirine, is a compound currently under development as a microbicide. In March 2004, IPM signed a non-exclusive licensing agreement with Belgium-based Tibotec (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) to develop dapivirine as a microbicide. IPM is studying dapivirine in human safety trials and an efficacy trial is being planned. IPM has also conducted safety studies of dapivirine contained in a vaginal ring.

More adult women than ever before are now living with HIV, according to a new report by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) released on 21 November 2006. The 17.7 million women living with HIV in 2006 represent an increase of more than one million compared with 2004.

“The Belgian government should be congratulated for recognizing the vital need to expand HIV-prevention options, especially for women,” noted Rebekah Webb, European Coordinator of the Global Campaign for Microbicides. “As a citizen movement for microbicide research, the Global Campaign has worked hard to get policy makers to recognize the vital role that new tools could play in helping individuals protect themselves from HIV. It is gratifying to see this response.”

The government of France has also pledged, for 2006, a first-time grant of €200,000 (US$0.26 million) in support of IPM’s microbicide research and development efforts.

In announcing this decision, Philippe Douste-Blazy, France’s Foreign Minister, described IPM as having an important role to play in the fight against the feminization of AIDS in the developing world. He also stated that the appropriate scientific agencies in France would, at his request, be working jointly with the administration and with civil society to better take account of an issue he considers “extremely important.”

The World AIDS Day announcements come on the heels of an announcement from the government of the Netherlands of a grant to IPM for €12 million (US$15.7 million) over four years made in early November. The governments of Ireland, Norway and Sweden have also provided increased support to IPM since the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto in August 2006. Other IPM supporters include Canada, Denmark, the United Kingdom, the United States, the European Commission, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the World Bank.

About IPM
The International Partnership for Microbicides was established in 2002 to accelerate the development and accessibility of vaginal microbicides to prevent the transmission of HIV in women in developing countries. By screening compounds, designing optimal formulations, establishing manufacturing capacity, developing trial sites and conducting large scale efficacy trials, the organization works to improve the efficiency of all efforts to develop and deliver safe and effective microbicides for women as soon as possible.