
The EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use reviewed the ring under the Article 58 procedure, which it conducts in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) to facilitate access to essential medicines in low- and middle-income countries using the same rigorous standards for products intended for use in the European Union. The next steps include acquiring national approvals and starting the roll-out of the ring in different countries.
The ring should provide women with more options to protect themselves from HIV, as women still carry the biggest burden of the HIV epidemic in Subsaharan Africa, with about 1.400 new infections among women a day. The ring was developed by the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM), with contributions by donor governments, including the Flemish government.