For the latest updates, trends, and opportunities for all things

multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs)

Dear MPT Insiders, 

We were thrilled to see so many of you at the MPT Summit this past June in Rockville, Maryland! This most recent edition of the MPT Insider features highlights from the Summit and recent IMPT projects.  

Additionally we are pleased to share with you MPT-relevant publications, as well as upcoming opportunities, funding, and events.  

As always, thank you for your continued partnership with the IMPT,  

Bethany, Sheryl, Madison & Nancy

Recap from MPT Summit: Envisioning the Future of HIV/STI Prevention and Contraception

We’re still buzzing from the incredible energy and insights shared at the MPT Summit convened this past June sponsored by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver NICHD and held at the NIAID Fishers Lane Conference Center! Over 100 in-person and 180 virtual attendees joined us from around the globe for 9 sessions covering topics from community and activists' perspectives, funders, product developers & sociobehavioral research, to regulatory perspectives and the value case for MPTs. Featuring 47 speakers, including key-note presentations from NIH, HHS, WHO & White House leadership, the Summit inspired cross-disciplinary energy to tackle challenges faced by the MPT field.  

We are grateful to our distinguished speakers and participants who made this event a resounding success! We’d like to also extend a special thank you to the Public Health Institute and Male Contraceptive Initiative for supporting breakfasts and networking lunches for participants. Stay tuned for more updates on next steps coming out of the Summit! 

If you participated in the MPT Summit and have not yet provided feedback via the brief 5 minute survey, the IMPT requests you do so by August 5th. We greatly value your input which can help inform future MPT convenings!

New! Frontiers Special Issue Ebook

We are pleased to share the eBook of the Special Issue in Frontiers in Reproductive Health Multipurpose Prevention Technologies: Call for Innovative Strategies to Address Critical Priorities and Gaps! This Special Issue called for papers from MPT product developers and other stakeholders within and external to the MPT field to stimulate strategic thinking and action needed to expand the MPT field in alignment with the identified MPT field-wide action areas. 

Given the complexity of the MPT field and limited resources, the IMPT has convened multidisciplinary experts from around the globe to strategically prioritize and advance the MPT field since our launch 15 years ago. From these activities, published in peer-reviewed publications and white papers, five MPT field-wide action areas have been identified.

This Special Issue called for papers from MPT product developers and other stakeholders within and external to the MPT field to stimulate strategic thinking and action needed to expand the MPT field in alignment with the identified MPT field-wide action areas. 

Thank you to all the contributing authors, Frontiers in Reproductive Health for the opportunity to partner on this Special Issue, and to the commitment of the topic editors of this Special Issue: Anke Hemmerling, Jim Turpin, Ariane van der Straten, Nomita Chandhiok, Zvavahera Mike Chirenje, Bethany Young Holt, as well to Joseph Romano, Madison Langrin, and Clara Soh. 

New! "Let’s Talk MPTs" Webinar  

The most recent addition to our “Let’s Talk MPTs” webinar series: Developing Live Biotherapeutics for HIV Prevention & MPTs featured expert speakers Douglas Kwon (Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard), Jacques Ravel (University of Maryland) and Anke Hemmerling (University of California San Franscisco) on new developments in the vaginal microbiome field and next steps.   

If you missed this recent webinar, visit the IMPT’s Learning Events page to access on-demand recordings and materials. 

MPT Research Articles

Paving the Way for Multi-Purpose Technologies: Programming for Choice and Strengthening Integrated HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health Services. (2024). Rodrigues et al. J Reprod Med Gynecol Obstet. doi.org/10.24966/RMGO-2574/100159 

Tailoring drug release from long-acting contraceptive levonorgestrel intrauterine systems. (2024). Fanse et al. Journal of Controlled Release. doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.04.027 

Summary of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Joint Workshop on Genital Herpes: 3–4 November 2022. (2024). Connolly et al. Open Forum Infectious Diseases. doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofae230 

Multipurpose prevention technologies: Determination of an interest in its use for STI and contraception by Nigerian women. (2024). Joda et al. The Nigerian Journal of Pharmacy. doi.org/10.51412/psnnjp.2024.12 

Lessons learnt from daily oral PrEP delivery to inform national planning for PrEP ring introduction for women in low-income and middle-income countries: a qualitative inquiry of international stakeholders. (2024). Heck et al. BMJ Global Health. doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2023-014709 

Vaginal drug delivery system: A promising route of drug administration for local and systemic diseases. (2024). Subi et al. Drug Discovery Today. doi.org/10.1016/j.drudis.2024.104012 

Editorial: Multipurpose prevention technologies: call for innovative strategies to address critical priorities and gaps. (2024). Soh et al. Front. Reprod. Health. doi.org/10.3389/frph.2024.1417974 

Hypotonic, gel-forming delivery system for vaginal drug administration. (2024). Shapiro et al. Journal of Controlled Release. doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.05.037 

Ending HIV Transmission in Australia: Expanding PrEP to Cisgender Women: A Scoping Review. (2024). MacPhail et al. AIDS and Behavior. doi.org/10.1007/s10461-024-04386-z 

Phase 1 randomized trials to assess safety, pharmacokinetics, and vaginal bleeding associated with use of extended duration dapivirine and levonorgestrel vaginal rings. (2024). Achilles et al. PLoS ONE. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0304552 

Contraceptive technology is failing to meet the needs of people in the United States because of underinvestment in new methods. (2024). Cairns-Smith et al. Contraception. doi.org/10.1016/j.contraception.2024.110518 

Prevention method preferences and factors influencing hypothetical choice among women in South Africa: a survey exploring opportunities for a multipurpose prevention technology implant. (2024). Martin et al. (in press). Front. Reprod. Health. doi.org/10.3389/frph.2024.1368889 

“Something Like That”: Awareness and Acceptability of HIV PrEP and PEP Among Kenyan Adolescents. (2024). Miller et al. Int. J. Behav. Med. doi.org/10.1007/s12529-024-10290-6 

Update on the research on the antigens of anti-sperm antibodies over the last decade. (2024). Chen et al. J. Reprod. Immunol. doi.org/10.1016/j.jri.2024.104292 

Neutralizing the threat: harnessing broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV-1 for treatment and prevention. (2024). Becerra et al. Microbial Cell. doi.org/10.15698/mic2024.07.826 

Perception of couples’ on multipurpose prevention technology attribute choice: the case of MTN 045. (2024). Dandadzi et al. BMC Public Health. doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-19390-0 

Injectable long-acting formulations (ILAFs) and manufacturing techniques. (2024). Magar et al. Expert Opin. Drug Deliv. doi.org/10.1080/17425247.2024.2374807 

MPT Summit: Envisioning the Future of HIV/STI Prevention and Contraception. (2024). Public Health Institute.  

Reforming the research and development ecosystem for neglected diseases, emerging infectious diseases, and maternal health. (2024). The Center for Policy Impact in Global Health.  

A product to protect women against HIV and pregnancy is a no-brainer. Why isn't there one? Fox. (2024). Fuller Project.  

September 10-13, 2024 | The National Reproductive Health Conference (NRHC) (Philadelphia, USA) 

The CTC-SRH will host the 12th Annual National Reproductive Health Conference (NRHC) theme: Revolutionizing Care: Shaping the Future of Quality Family Planning. This year's theme highlights the transformative impact of new developments in reproductive health care. The 2024 NRHC is not only about sharing knowledge but also about influencing the future direction of quality family planning and sexual + reproductive health. The conference will be held 100% in person in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from September 10 - 13. Early bird pricing will remain open through August 4.   

September 16-19, 2024 | 2024 STI Prevention Conference (Atlanta, USA)

The STI Prevention Conference is a biennial conference that brings together international leading researchers with government experts, clinical STD care providers, and state and local public health administrators. The 2024 STI Prevention Conference is organized by the American Sexual Health Association, the American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Coalition of STD Directors. Join more than 1,200 conference attendees September 16-19, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia, for four days of scientific updates and cutting-edge sessions on science, program, and policy. Registration is open through August 15.

September 23-25, 2024 | Women’s Health Innovation Summit USA (Boston, USA) 

This year will mark the 6th annual Women’s Health Innovation Summit USA building the roadmap to success by uniting the entire ecosystem of stakeholders and key opinion leaders to facilitate connections, share cutting-edge knowledge, and provide a platform for deep market expertise to flourish. To download the 2024 agenda and register, visit the WHIS website.  

October 6-10, 2024 | 5th HIV Research for Prevention Conference (Lima, Peru + virtual)

The only global conference on HIV prevention research, HIVR4P, will bring together 1500 participants to foster interdisciplinary knowledge exchange on HIV vaccines, microbicides, PrEP, treatment as prevention and biomedical interventions, as well as their social and behavioral implications. This year's focus will be on overcoming HIV as a threat to public health and individual wellbeing, including in Latin America, where HIV cases are on the rise.

October 19-21, 2024 | Society of Family Planning Annual Meeting (Detroit, USA) 

This year’s Annual Meeting for the Society of Family Planning will be a forum for who produce and inform science to come together to share new research; consider new questions; learn from one another; improve their capacity to provide evidence-informed and person-centered care; get inspired; and receive the support they need from peers, mentors, and allies to return to their communities and institutions prepared to advocate for evidence-informed and person-centered abortion and contraception care. General registration for the meeting will be open through 26 September 2024.  

October 27-30, 2024 | 2024 APHA Annual Meeting and Expo (Minneapolis, USA + virtual)

Each year, APHA’s Annual Meeting and Expo convenes about 12,000 public health professionals and partners from around the world to engage, collaborate and grow. The Annual Meeting brings together a broad spectrum of professionals across a variety of disciplines. Highlighted events include key sessions & speakers, public health expo, coffee talks, film festival, and more! Learn more about the program and registration details on the APHA website.

November 25-26, 2024 | International Conference on Contraception and Reproductive Health Care (Bangkok, Thailand) 

International Conference on Contraception and Reproductive Health Care aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of Contraception and Reproductive Health Care. It also provides a premier interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns as well as practical challenges encountered and solutions adopted in the fields of Contraception and Reproductive Health Care. 

Webinars

August 5, 2024 | Where's the Equity? Including People with Disabilities in HIV Prevention Programming and Research 

As a movement motivated by health and human rights, the HIV field has collectively been tuning in more than ever to the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion when it comes to HIV prevention programming and research. That said, there seems to be less awareness and effort around the inclusion of people with disabilities in our programs and protocols. Recognizing that "people with disabilities" is an immense group of very diverse people, this webinar from the Choice Agenda will explore the who, what, where and how involved in acknowledging the importance of including people with disabilities, with concrete ideas for where, how, and with whom we can improve our efforts. Register for this webinar today!  

Funding Opportunities

Are you an MPT researcher looking for funding? Please visit the IMPT website for available opportunities here. A current opportunity can be found below.

Next Generation Multipurpose Prevention Technologies (NGM) (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)

This funding opportunity from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) aims to support support the continued development of new and innovative on-demand, event-driven, and long-acting (systemic and non-systemic) multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs). It supports development of MPTs that prevent HIV infection and pregnancy (hormonal and non-hormonal methods); sexually transmitted infections (STI) and pregnancy; or multiple non-HIV STI or HIV/STI MPTs in cis and trans males and females of all ages. Additional details can be found here or at www.GRANTS.gov by searching within “Search Grants” for Funding Opportunity Number: PAR-23-180, then clicking on the opportunity number.

• Funding Opportunity #: PAR-23-180
• Open Date: 7 November 2023
• Letters of Intent Due: N/A
• Application Due: 7 December 2024

Fellowship & Career Opportunities

Are you interested in career pathways in MPT research? See resources here!

Request for Applications | MATRIX Tech Accelerator Domain 1 – Prevention challenges  

This is an opportunity to apply for funding to advance research applications related to HIV prevention. Graduate students and post-doctoral fellows from Kenyan, South African, and Zimbabwean institutions are invited to apply to this request for applications (RFA) sponsored by MATRIX (Microbicide R&D to Advance HIV Prevention Technologies through Responsive Innovation and eXcellence): A USAID Project to Advance the Research and Development of Innovative HIV Prevention Products for Women. This RFA is designed to support research by a graduate student or post-doctoral fellow to address the critical need for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and/or multipurpose prevention technology (MPT) development that meets the goals of the MATRIX consortium and USAID. Applications are due on 16 September 2024, 8:00AM Pacific Time. Learn more on the MATRIX website.