Product/Service Development

Giovanni Pauletti of the University of Cincinnati in the U.S. will develop and test a tampon-like, biodegradable foam device made from polymers that contain a safe spermicide and a microbicide. The device can be self-administered by women and quickly reacts to vaginal fluids to convert to a hydrogel that creates a physical and chemical barrier to sperm and HIV and other virions.

Jeffrey Jensen of Oregon Health & Science University in the U.S. will test the feasibility of using the varicose vein treatment polidocanol in a foam format to close fallopian tubes. The method could be administered by minimally-trained healthcare workers and could be a low-cost, nonsurgical permanent contraceptive method for women in developing countries who want control over their long-term family planning. This project's Phase I research showed that polidocanol foam can block the fallopian tubes of rhesus macaques without causing adverse non-target effects.

Robert Garfield of St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona in the U.S. will develop a compact, battery-powered device to electrically stimulate uterine contraction and prevent profuse bleeding following childbirth. The instrument could be used by any individual to reduce life-threatening postpartum hemorrhage in hospitals and in remote areas where prompt action is necessary.

Scott Sullivan of the Medical University of South Carolina in the U.S. will build and test a vaginal insert for the prevention of preterm delivery. The device would mechanically support the cervix and dispense medication that would reduce preterm birth risk. It would be inexpensive, small, storage stable, re-usable and easily self-inserted.

Mark Hauswald, Nancy Kerr, and David Wachter of Global Health Partnerships and the University of New Mexico in the U.S. will work with care providers in Nepal to evaluate their use and acceptance of inexpensive devices constructed of local materials that decrease blood flow to the pelvic organs for treating post-partum hemorrhage, a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in the developing world.

Toby Freyman of Arsenal Medical, Inc. in the U.S. proposes to develop a hemostatic foam device that can be delivered into the uterus to control bleeding following childbirth. Success in this effort will significantly reduce maternal death in the developing world by providing an effective yet simple and inexpensive medical device that is compatible with existing infrastructure.

Xin Wang and colleagues from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Boston Medical Center in the U.S., along with collaborators from Weifang Medical University in China and Christian Medical College in India, will identify new treatments and associated diagnostic biomarkers for hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in newborns, which is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. In Phase I they discovered that agonists of the melatonin receptor, alone or in combination with hypothermia, could prevent newborn hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in a mouse model.

Eva Wiberg-Itzel of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden proposes to develop an easy and informative test which measures the concentration of lactate in the amniotic fluid of laboring women to help obstetricians and midwifes predict labor outcomes. Measuring lactate levels can give care providers an early indication of whether interventions are needed to reduce maternal and infant mortality in developing countries.

Glenna Bett of SUNY University at Buffalo in the U.S. proposes to develop a device to treat postpartum hemorrhage suitable for use even when medical facilities are absent or minimal, and in non-sterile environments. If successful, this has the potential to reduce perinatal deaths worldwide.

Xiaoyang Wang of University of Gothenburg in Sweden, along with Harvey Cantor of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in the U.S., will test whether inhibition of a key molecule of inflammation can prevent brain injury in preterm newborns with asphyxia. If successful, this could be used to develop a vaccine-like approach to halt the process of neonatal brain injury.