Bridging the gap: advancing multipurpose prevention technologies from the lab into the hands of women

摘要

Multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs) are being designed to deliver multifaceted reproductive health prevention, largely focused on contraception and prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and/or other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). They could revolutionize sexual and reproductive health by reducing stigma associated with the need to prevent of HIV and other STIs by incorporating these features into contraceptives, which are less stigmatized [ ]. MPTs may also help address increasing concerns about social inequalities and the environment by providing more varied contraceptive choices to help ensure that all children are planned, wanted, and born into healthy families [ ]. Support for MPTs has increased over the past decade and their development is endorsed and informed by women, men, civil society, healthcare providers, and policymakers [ ]. While MPT development is scientifically and logistically complex, financial and technical resources critical for transitioning promising preclinical product candidates/formulations into clinical evaluation remain limited. We contend that this transition requires not only funding, but also technical expertise to inform necessary rigorous criteria and benchmarks to evaluate and advance promising preclinical products into clinical formulations, approved for human testing and poised for clinical trial evaluation. This commentary presents a strategy for bridging MPT funding and development gaps and to advance these products to reach the hands of women.