MTN-001 was a Phase II trial that looked at how tenofovir is absorbed in the body as either an oral tablet or a vaginal gel, as well as women’s preferences for and ability to adhere to the daily regimens of each approach. The study involved 144 women in South Africa, Uganda and the U.S., who used each product daily for six weeks, as well as the two together. The results of drug absorption studies, published in 2013, found the gel was associated with vaginal tissue drug levels more than 130-times higher than the oral tablet; the tablet was associated with a 56-times higher concentration of active drug in blood compared to the gel. Although self-reported adherence was very high (94 percent) and most women said they liked both products, drug serum concentrations indicated only 64 percent of the women took the tablets consistently.
Tenofovir Gel Wins Out in Drug Absorption Study, but HIV Prevention Trials Tell a Different Story
30-January-2013
30-January-2013
See Also
Study comparing tenofovir gel and oral tablet finds gel provides more drug to tissue
28-February-2011
HIV prevention researchers to compare common ARV as a pill and vaginal gel in unique study
9-July-2008