RADNOR, PA — Avantor Inc. (NYSE: AVTR) has expanded its collaboration with the Population Council to support development of a three-month dapivirine vaginal ring for HIV prevention, advancing a next-generation product designed to reduce dosing frequency and improve access in regions with high HIV prevalence.
The project builds on a longstanding relationship between Avantor’s NuSil brand and the International Partnership for Microbicides, which became part of the Population Council in 2022. NuSil supplied the high-purity medical-grade silicones used in the one-month dapivirine vaginal ring, which has received regulatory approval in 12 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
The three-month version is designed to provide protection using four rings annually instead of 12 monthly rings. According to the Population Council, the extended-duration product is intended to improve adherence, lower annual treatment costs and expand access to HIV prevention, particularly for women in regions disproportionately affected by the virus.
NuSil’s silicones are used in the ring’s construction to support controlled drug release and maintain mechanical performance over the three-month period.
The Population Council submitted the three-month dapivirine ring to the European Medicines Agency for regulatory review in November 2025 and plans to pursue approvals in countries across sub-Saharan Africa and other regions.
Kyle Kleinbeck, a senior scientist at the Population Council, said the longer-acting ring is intended to provide women and adolescent girls with an additional HIV prevention option that is more affordable and convenient.
Clinical studies cited by the Population Council found the three-month device delivers higher levels of dapivirine than the monthly version, a result the organization said suggests the potential for improved efficacy and user acceptance.
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