Vaginal Gel Cuts HIV Infections While Blocking Herpes

A vaginal gel containing Gilead Sciences Inc.’s AIDS drug Viread cut HIV infections by as much as 54 percent in a trial in South Africa, the first time such a product has protected women after six previous gels failed.

Among 445 women who applied the gel before and after sex, there were 39 percent fewer HIV infections overall than among those who used a placebo gel, according to the trial results released today by the journal Science. There were 54 percent fewer infections among those who used the gel more than 80 percent of the time and a 28 percent reduction among those who used it least.