The Initiative for Multipurpose Prevention Technologies (IMPT) is a product neutral, global collaboration that advances the development of MPTs to address the interlinked risks of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. Comprised of members from across disciplines and more than 15 countries, the IMPT is the central body that researchers, product developers, funders, policymakers, and advocates rely on for objective technical guidance and strategic planning related to MPTs. Multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs) are an innovative class of products that deliver varied combinations of HIV prevention, other STI prevention, and contraception and will improve the lives of women and families worldwide. The vision for MPTs is an array of accessible products that are woman-initiated, efficient, and easy to use. Safe and effective MPTs that are also acceptable, affordable, and made widely available would greatly improve health and save resources across the globe.

Background Technical Meeting

In 2015, the IMPT Secretariat conducted a survey among MPT experts to identify the most urgent research gaps for field wide follow up, during which work on hormonal contraception (HC) in MPTs was identified as a priority. Through two stakeholder meetings held with the Contraceptive Clinical Trials Network (CCTN) and a prioritization survey specifically on HC related issues, the IMPT has identified many challenges critical to advancing work on combining HC and antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) in MPTs and issued recommendations around next steps in this field of research. These challenges focused on four areas: HC and HIV susceptibility; dosing of HC in combination with an ARV; topical effects and drug-drug interactions (DDIs); and biological and social-behavioral aspects of MPT development.

Meeting Objectives

With support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the IMPT organized this one-day technical meeting that brought together experts and supporters of the CCTN, MPT developers, and other stakeholders to plan the next steps inoperationalizing the recommendations from previous HC in MPTs meetings.

Specific meeting objectives included:

1. Review and update previously identified research priorities for the field, key considerations for these priorities including: their importance for progress, urgency, and feasibility.
>2. Identify and prioritize data and knowledge gaps that are relevant to HC in MPTs for further investigation.
3. Outline potential challenges and strategies to address the identified priorities and ensure maximum impact of contraceptive MPTs. This meeting was held in conjunction with an IMPT Clinical Trial Evaluation Workshop for MPTs, the report from which is available on the IMPT website.

Report

For the full report click here.

IMPT Network of Experts

IMPT would love to have involvement from Share Net partners as they move their work forward.
If interested, one can join the IMPT Network of Experts.