he 2010 International AIDS Conference in Vienna is still underway, but already some studies released there show the constant advances made in the atte

he 2010 International AIDS Conference in Vienna is still underway, but already some studies released there show the constant advances made in the attempts to slow the pandemic. As the world hopes for an HIV vaccine following recent positive developments, a new study in South Africa shows that a vaginal gel made using Gilead Sciences' (GILD) AIDS drug Viread cut HIV infections in women by as much as 50%.

Gilead's HIV drug Viread, or tenofovir, is used as a pill in AIDS treatment cocktails and was supplied royalty-free for the purpose of the study. This is the first time such a microbicide product -- an antiretroviral drug in a gel form -- has protected users after previous attempts failed. In addition, a surprising and positive finding of the trial is that the gel also reduced the risk of genital herpes infection by 51%.

"Tenofovir gel could fill an important HIV prevention gap by empowering women who are unable to successfully negotiate mutual faithfulness or condom use with their male partners," said study co-principal investigator Dr. Quarraisha Abdool Karim, associate director of CAPRISA and associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia University. "This new technology has the potential to alter the course of the HIV epidemic, especially in southern Africa where young women bear the brunt of this devastating disease."