Placebo Vaginal Film with Square Corners

The Placebo Vaginal Film with Square Corners is a prototype vaginal drug delivery platform developed by the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy and the Magee-Womens Research Institute. Designed as a 2" x 2" square-cornered film, it is composed of a bioerodible cellulosic polymer, such as carboxycellulose, which is engineered to dissolve slowly over a 30-day period upon contact with vaginal fluids. As a placebo, it contains no active pharmaceutical ingredient. It is currently being evaluated in the Phase 1 MATRIX-002 trial (sponsored by Lisa Rohan, PhD) to assess the safety, acceptability, and usability of the film's physical shape in HIV-negative women. This research is part of the USAID-funded MATRIX project, intended to optimize the design of future long-acting HIV prevention products, specifically those containing the antiretroviral drug dapivirine.

Other names

Vaginal Film with Square Corners-Rohan, Lisa, PhDSquare-cornered placebo vaginal filmMATRIX-002 placebo film (square)