| Title |
Intravaginal rings as delivery systems for microbicides and multipurpose prevention technologies
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
International Journal of Women's Health, October 2013
|
| DOI | 10.2147/ijwh.s34030 |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
Andrea Ries Thurman, Meredith R Clark, Jennifer A Hurlburt, Gustavo F Doncel |
| Abstract |
There is a renewed interest in delivering pharmaceutical products via intravaginal rings (IVRs). IVRs are flexible torus-shaped drug delivery systems that can be easily inserted and removed by the woman and that provide both sustained and controlled drug release, lasting for several weeks to several months. In terms of women's health care products, it has been established that IVRs effectively deliver contraceptive steroids and steroids for the treatment of postmenopausal vaginal atrophy. A novel application for IVRs is the delivery of antiretroviral drugs for the prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) genital infection. Microbicides are antiviral drugs delivered topically for HIV prevention. Recent reviews of microbicide IVRs have focused on technologies in development and optimizing ring design. IVRs have several advantages, including the ability to deliver sustained drug doses for long periods of time while bypassing first pass metabolism in the gut. IVRs are discreet, woman-controlled, and do not require a trained provider for placement or fitting. Previous data support that women and their male sexual partners find IVRs highly acceptable. Multipurpose prevention technology (MPT) products provide protection against unintended/mistimed pregnancy and reproductive tract infections, including HIV. Several MPT IVRs are currently in development. Early clinical testing of new microbicide and MPT IVRs will require a focus on safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Specifically, IVRs will have to deliver tissue concentrations of drugs that are pharmacodynamically active, do not cause mucosal alterations or inflammation, and do not change the resident microbiota. The emergence of resistance to antiretrovirals will need to be investigated. IVRs should not disrupt intercourse or have high rates of expulsion. Herein, we reviewed the microbicide and MPT IVRs currently in development, with a focus on the clinical aspects of IVR assessment and the challenges facing microbicide and MPT IVR product development, clinical testing, and implementation. The information in this review was drawn from PubMed searches and a recent microbicide/MPT product development workshop organized by CONRAD. |
X Demographics
The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 3 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 1 | 33% |
| Unknown | 2 | 67% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Scientists | 2 | 67% |
| Members of the public | 1 | 33% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 119 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 2 | 2% |
| Portugal | 1 | <1% |
| France | 1 | <1% |
| United Kingdom | 1 | <1% |
| Sierra Leone | 1 | <1% |
| United States | 1 | <1% |
| Unknown | 112 | 94% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Researcher | 27 | 23% |
| Student > Master | 25 | 21% |
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 13 | 11% |
| Student > Bachelor | 10 | 8% |
| Student > Postgraduate | 6 | 5% |
| Other | 21 | 18% |
| Unknown | 17 | 14% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine and Dentistry | 27 | 23% |
| Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 13 | 11% |
| Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science | 11 | 9% |
| Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 8 | 7% |
| Chemistry | 7 | 6% |
| Other | 26 | 22% |
| Unknown | 27 | 23% |
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 5. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 26 July 2023.
All research outputs
#6,772,889
of 24,147,581 outputs
Outputs from International Journal of Women's Health
#273
of 826 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#58,285
of 211,883 outputs
Outputs of similar age from International Journal of Women's Health
#7
of 25 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 24,147,581 research outputs across all sources so far. This one has received more attention than most of these and is in the 71st percentile.
So far Altmetric has tracked 826 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 13.0. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 66% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 211,883 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 72% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 25 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done well, scoring higher than 76% of its contemporaries.