CONRAD (organization)

CONRAD

Motto	Leaders in Reproductive Health and HIV Prevention
Formation	1986
Purpose	promote reproductive health and HIV prevention
Headquarters	Arlington County, Virginia
Scientific and Executive Director	Gustavo Doncel, M.D., Ph.D
Website	http://www.conrad.org/

CONRAD (Contraception Research and Development) is a non-profit organization scientific research organization that works to improve the reproductive health of women, especially in developing countries. CONRAD was established in 1986 under a cooperative agreement between Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) and the United States Agency for International Development(USAID). CONRAD’s products are developed primarily for women in low-resource settings, in that they are designed to be safe, affordable and user-friendly. [2] CONRAD is led by Scientific and Executive Director Gustavo Doncel, M.D., Ph.D. Primary funding for CONRAD comes from the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), with additional funding from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

CONRAD works by conducting pre-clinical development and clinical trials.

MICROBICIDES and HIV PREVENTION: Using the antiretroviral tenofovir (TFV), donated by Gilead Sciences, CONRAD developed a gel for use in the genital tract. Tenofovir gel was tested in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled Phase II study conducted by the Centre for AIDS Research Programme in South Africa (CAPRISA). Study participants were required to insert their assigned gel before and after sex, using a pre-filled applicator, not to exceed two doses in a 24-hour period - also called the BAT 24 regimen. In the overall study population, tenofovir gel reduced HIV-1 incidence by 39% and herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) infections by 51%. CAPRISA 004. Two subsequent trials tested the gel in larger populations in order to provide more evidence for regulatory approval: VOICE, sponsored by the MTN, studied daily use of the gel, and FACTS 001, sponsored by CONRAD and conducted by the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute in South Africa, replicated the CAPRISA 004 study in a larger population of women and called for the BAT24 regimen. Unfortunately, neither study showed effectiveness in reducing HIV infections in the overall study population due to low adherence, although a trend toward effectiveness was seen in sub-group analyses of high adherers.