Darunavir Ring

Fast facts

  • Designed to act against: HIV-1
  • Delivery method: Vaginal ring
  • Active ingredients: Darunavir, an antiretroviral (ARV) drug; second ARV (TBD) 
  • Length of action: Three months
  • Status: Development currently paused

Why is the darunavir ring important?

Darunavir is a protease inhibitor, a mechanism of action that has not been used for HIV prevention. Combining darunavir with other ARVs that use different mechanisms of action against HIV in a single product may help increase the breadth of protection and reduce the chance of acquiring drug-resistant virus. 

How does the darunavir ring work? 

Building on previous work in the field on combination rings containing darunavir, IPM has been exploring the development of a flexible, long-acting ring designed to slowly release darunavir, a protease inhibitor currently used for HIV treatment, and another ARV into the vagina over the course of 90 days. Women would insert it themselves and replace it every three months. 

What is its development history? 

Darunavir is currently a marketed drug for oral HIV therapy. After negotiating a license to darunavir from Janssen in 2015, IPM conducted pre-formulation and characterization studies to inform a strategy for formulating darunavir as a long-acting vaginal ring.  

What are the next steps for the darunavir ring?

Development of the ring is currently paused due to insufficient funding and organizational priorities. IPM will update this page when development resumes.

Where can I learn more?