Global health researchers at the University of Washington have received a $122 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to test the effectiveness of the candidate drug islatravir, a once-a-month oral pill to prevent HIV.

The five-year grant will support the implementation of a Phase 3, randomized trial of islatravir, among women, in seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Islatravir is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase translocation inhibitor in development by Merck for the treatment and prevention of HIV-1 infection.