CONRAD celebrates thirty years of leadership in pioneering new methods of contraception and HIV prevention. They were founded in 1986 under a cooperative agreement between Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) and the U. S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as a not-for-profit with a research emphasis on reproductive health for women in low-resource settings.  Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia with clinics and laboratories at EVMS, CONRAD employs a small staff with diverse expertise in order to maintain a low overhead – every available dollar is put toward development and testing of their products.

Their mission: to improve sexual and reproductive health globally by enabling prevention of HIV/STI, unintended pregnancies, and maternal and neonatal disease through the development of innovative, user-centered technologies.

Their main areas of research and development:

• Prevention of HIV, HSV, and other STIs
• Prevention of unintended pregnancies (FP/contraception)
• Multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs) (eg, contraception and prevention of HIV)
• Prevention of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality

Recent accomplishments include:

• Their researchers developed a pipeline of novel male and female contraceptive leads and conducted pivotal clinical trials that led to registration of new barrier methods of contraception. Most recently, CONRAD worked with PATH to conduct the pivotal scientific studies on the Caya one-size-fits-most diaphragm, which is currently sold in the U.S. and Europe.
• Their product development team developed the first multipurpose prevention technology – a vaginal ring designed to provide contraception while protecting against HIV and herpes infections.
• CONRAD sponsored late phase studies, including FACTS 001 and CAPRISA 004 which tested the use of tenofovir gel for HIV prevention in women; the male contraceptive trial of TU/NE; and the first generation microbicide trial of cellulose sulfate.

They have developed and continue to research  new microbicide delivery systems such as a fast dissolving vaginal insert, and multipurpose prevention technologies that provide contraception and HIV prevention.