ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT01687205Updated Jun 28, 2021

Coital Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) of Tenofovir Gel

A Phase 1 interventional study of 1% Tenofovir Gel in Pharmacokinetics of 1% Tenofovir Gel Following Coitus and Pharmacodynamics of 1% Tenofovir Gel Following Coitus, sponsored by CONRAD. Completed at 2 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 21 Years to 46 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-06-28.

Sponsored by CONRAD · Phase 1, Interventional, and Other

Phase
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
31
Allocation
Non-randomized
Ages
21 Years to 46 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Study Objectives:

  • To assess the impact of coitus (and semen) on the pharmacokinetics of tenofovir 1% gel in female genital tract secretions, vaginal and cervical tissue and rectal tract secretions
  • To assess the impact of coitus (and semen) on pharmacodynamics of luminal drug by measuring the anti-HIV-1 activity in CVL samples

Study Summary:

MTN-011 will enroll heterosexual monogamous, sexually active couples, in which both partners are healthy and HIV-negative. The female participants must be between the ages of 21-46 (inclusive) and currently using effective non-barrier contraception. Male participants must be 21 years of age or older. This Phase 1 expanded safety study will assess tenofovir PK in the genital tract secretions (CVL), rectal (rectal sponge) and both intracellular and extracellular tissue compartments (vaginal biopsy) in the absence of, or following coitus. Pharmacodynamics (antiviral activity) will also be assessed in CVL. MTN-011 will study the timing in which coitus might have the greatest impact on these variables, which is when gel is applied shortly prior to coitus in the absence of a drug reservoir.

MTN-011 will examine PK/PD in response to a single dose of 1% tenofovir gel applied shortly before sex and compare to PK/PD assessments following a single gel application without sex. Additionally, data obtained from a visit in which participants do not dose with gel and do not have sex will serve as an additional control for the pharmacodynamic (PD) studies of the antiviral activity in CVL. If tenofovir retains its antiviral activity following sex, then the anti-HIV activity in CVL collected at the visit in which female participants dose with gel and have sex should be comparable to that of CVL collected at the visit in which females dose with gel and then do not engage in intercourse and significantly greater than the endogenous anti-HIV activity in CVL obtained at the visit in which participants do not dose with gel but do have sex and the visit in which no gel is administered and sex does occur. Data analysis performed after the completion of enrollment and follow-up procedures will demonstrate if there is an impact of coitus and semen on PK/PD when a single 1% tenofovir dose is applied shortly prior to sex.

02

Conditions studied

  • Pharmacokinetics of 1% Tenofovir Gel Following Coitus
  • Pharmacodynamics of 1% Tenofovir Gel Following Coitus
03

In context

Lead sponsor

CONRAD is the lead sponsor of 39 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
21 Years to 46 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

Men and women must meet the following criteria to be eligible for inclusion in the study:

  1. Able and willing to provide the following:

    • Written to be screened for and take part in the study
    • Adequate locator information, as defined in site SOPs
  2. Per participant report, at low risk for /STI. Low risk is defined as:

    • No sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the 6 months prior to Screening
    • No non-therapeutic intravenous drug use in the 18 months prior to Screening
    • In a mutually monogamous relationship with a partner of the opposite sex for 6 months prior to Screening and the intent to stay in this relationship for the next 4 months
  3. At Screening and Enrollment, both partners independently report not using barrier and/or barrier protection as part of normal coital routine and report the intent to continue said sexual practice for the duration of study participation
  4. HIV-uninfected based upon testing performed by study staff at Screening (per protocol algorithm)
  5. Agrees not to participate in other research studies involving drugs, medical devices, or genital and rectal products, or large blood draw studies during study participation
  6. Women must also meet the following criteria:

    • Age 21 through 46 years (inclusive) at Screening, verified per site SOPs
    • Pap result in the 12 calendar months prior to Screening consistent with Grade 0 according to the Female Genital Grading Table for Use in Microbicide Studies Addendum 1 to the DAIDS Table for Grading Adult and Pediatric Adverse Events, Version 1.0, December 2004 (Clarification dated August 2009), or satisfactory evaluation with no treatment required of non-Grade 0 Pap result per American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP) guidelines in the 12 calendar months prior to the Screening Visit

    Note: Women with a documented normal result within the 12 months prior to screening need not have a Pap smear during the screening period. Women with abnormal Pap smears can be enrolled upon completion of the initial phase of evaluation if no current treatment is indicated (based on local standard of care for management of abnormal cervical cytology). Need for a repeat Pap within 6 months does not preclude enrollment prior to that result becoming available.

    • Must be currently using effective non-barrier contraception, other than a contraceptive vaginal ring, for at least three months prior to Screening (i.e., oral contraceptive, patch, injectable hormones, subdermal implants, intrauterine device, female or male sterilization) and intending to use this method for the course of the study
    • Per participant report, regular menstrual cycles with at least 21 days between menses (does not apply to participants who report using a progestin-only method of contraception at screening, e.g., Depo-Provera)

    Note: This criterion is not applicable to participants using continuous combination oral contraceptive pills, as the absence of regular menstrual cycles is an expected, normal consequence in this context.

    • Anatomy sufficient for performing pelvic examinations and for collecting vaginal and cervical specimens
    • Female participants must also agree to abstain from intercourse (oral, anal, or penile-vaginal) and other vaginal practices (e.g., masturbation, douching, tampon use, application of lubricants/spermicides or other related practices) 72 hours prior to each follow-up visit.
  7. Men must also meet the following criteria:

    • Age 21 or older at Screening, verified per site SOPs
    • Agree to abstain from intercourse (oral, anal, or penile-vaginal) and other penile practices (e.g., masturbation, application of lubricants/spermicides or other related practices) 72 hours prior to each follow-up visit.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

Men and women who meet any of the following criteria will be excluded from the study.

  1. Participant report of any of the following:

    • Known allergy to the study product (ever)
    • Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for exposure within 6 months prior to Screening
    • Participation in any other research study involving drugs, medical devices, or genital products 30 days or less prior to Enrollment
    • Plans to relocate away from the study site in the next 4 months
    • History of domestic violence with current partner (ever)
    • Systemic or topical antimicrobials within the last 7 days prior to Enrollment
    • Currently using or planning to use pharmacologic immune modulator(s)
  2. At Screening or Enrollment, symptomatic urinary tract infection (UTI)

    Note: Otherwise eligible participants diagnosed with UTI during screening are offered treatment and may be enrolled after completing treatment and all symptoms have resolved as long as treatment is completed and all symptoms have resolved within 30 days of obtaining for Screening/Enrollment.

  3. At Screening, has a positive surface antigen (HBsAg) test result
  4. At Screening or Enrollment, has an STI or reproductive tract infection (RTI) requiring treatment per current Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines
  5. Genital signs and/or symptoms of Grade 2 or higher

    Note: For female participants, cervical bleeding associated with speculum insertion and/or specimen collection judged to be within the range of normal according to the clinical judgment of the IoR/designee is considered expected non-menstrual bleeding and is not exclusionary.

    Note: Otherwise eligible participants with exclusionary genital findings may be enrolled after the findings have improved to a non-exclusionary severity grading or resolved as long as treatment is completed and all symptoms have resolved within 30 days of obtaining informed consent for Screening/Enrollment.

  6. Has any other condition that, in the opinion of the Investigator of Record (IoR)/designee, would preclude informed consent, make study participation unsafe, complicate interpretation of study outcome data, or otherwise interfere with achieving the study objectives
  7. Women who meet any of the following criteria will be excluded from the study:

    • Participant report (or clinical finding) of the following:

      • Last pregnancy outcome 90 days or less prior to Enrollment
      • Currently pregnant

    Note: Self-reported pregnancy is adequate for exclusion from the study. A documented negative pregnancy test performed by study staff is required for inclusion.

    • Currently breastfeeding
    • Intends to become pregnant in the next 4 months
    • Gynecologic or genital procedure (e.g., tubal ligation, dilation and curettage) within the prior 30 days to Enrollment

    Note: This does not include for the evaluation of an abnormal pap result or endometrial biopsy that occurred more than 7 days prior to Enrollment.

    • Any of the following laboratory abnormalities at Screening:

      • less than 10.0 g/dl
      • count less than 100,000/mm3

    Note: Otherwise eligible participants with an exclusionary test may be re-tested during the screening process

    • Use of a vaginal douche or other intravaginal products (excluding tampon use) in the 30 days prior to Enrollment
    • Currently menopausal or perimenopausal
  8. Men who meet any of the following criteria will be excluded from the study:

    • Participant report of penile procedures (e.g. biopsy, circumcision) within 42 days prior to Enrollment
    • For uncircumcised men, per participant report, treatment of candidal balanoposthitis/ balanitis within 30 days prior to Enrollment
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(7)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.

Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.

Contraception

Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.

Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.

Hepatitis B tests

Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. These are separate tests: HBsAg positive usually means a current infection (a recent vaccination can briefly cause it too); total anti-HBc (HBcAb) positive means an infection now or in the past; HBV DNA measures how much virus is in the blood.

Some studies accept a past infection if HBV DNA is undetectable, sometimes with antiviral medicine during the study. Check what this study allows.

Biopsy and archival tissue

A biopsy takes a small piece of tissue to examine. “Archival tissue” is a sample already taken, for example at diagnosis, and kept by the hospital.

Whether a stored sample will do depends on when it was taken, how much there is and what the study needs. Ask whether the study accepts your stored sample or needs a new biopsy.

Hemoglobin (Hb)

The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A low level is anaemia, which can cause tiredness and breathlessness. Measured in g/dL or g/L (9 g/dL is 90 g/L).

Platelets

Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 1
Primary purpose
Other
Allocation
Non-randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
31 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Group 1

    Single Dose/1 hour before and 1 hour after sex (BAT) Cohort

    Drug: 1% Tenofovir Gel

  • Active comparator
    Group 2

    Multiple Dose Cohort

    Drug: 1% Tenofovir Gel

Interventions

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Pharmacokinetics of tenofovir 1% gel

    To assess the impact of coitus (and semen) on the pharmacokinetics of tenofovir 1% gel in female genital tract secretions, vaginal and cervical tissue and rectal tract secretions

    Time frame: Visits 3b, 4b, 5b, 6b and 7b.

  2. Pharmacodynamics of luminal drug

    To assess the impact of coitus (and semen) on pharmacodynamics of luminal drug by measuring the anti-HIV-1 activity in CVL samples

    Time frame: Visits 2b, 3b, 4b, 5b, 6b and 7b.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Acceptability

    To assess the acceptability of the MTN-011 trial to male and female participants

    Time frame: Visit 7b.

Other outcomes

  1. Impact of coitus and/or tenofovir on the genital tract mucosal environment

    To assess the impact of coitus and/or tenofovir on the genital tract musical environment

    Time frame: Visits 1, 2b, 3b, 4b, 5b, 6b and 7b.

  2. Semen biomarker

    To determine whether a semen biomarker can be used to estimate the volume of ejaculate within CVL

    Time frame: Visits 1, 2b, 3b, 5b and 7b.

  3. Retained drug levels in the lumen

    To assess whether sufficient drug is retained in the lumen in the absence of or following coitus to inhibit HSV-2 as an additional surrogate biomarker of pharmacodynamics

    Time frame: Visits 1, 2b, 3b, 4b, 5b, 6b and 7b.

07

Study locations

2 sites
  • Case Western Reserve University
    Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
  • Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC
    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Herold BC, Chen BA, Salata RA, Marzinke MA, Kelly CW, Dezzutti CS, McGowan I, Galaska B, Levy L, Piper JM, Hillier S, Hendrix CW. Impact of Sex on the Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of 1% Tenofovir Gel. Clin Infect Dis. 2016 Feb 1;62(3):375-382. doi: 10.1093/cid/civ913. Epub 2015 Oct 27. PubMed 26508513 ↗
09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jun 28, 2021, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01687205
Lead sponsor
CONRAD
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Sep 18, 2012
Start date
Nov 2012
Primary completion
Jun 2014
Completion
Nov 2014
Last update
Jun 28, 2021

Study contacts

Betsy Herold, MD
study chair · Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Beatrice A. Chen, MD, MPH
principal investigator · University of Pittsburgh
Robert A. Salata, MD
principal investigator · Case Western Reserve University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Jun 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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Studies of the drug tested here: Tenofovir

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