The promise of public/private sector collaboration in the development of new contraceptives: the experience of CICCR.

The Consortium for Industrial Collaboration in Contraceptive Research (CICCR) was established in 1995 with funding from two philanthropic foundations. Now just over 3 years later, it is supported by five foundations and a United Nations agency. Work in three priority areas of male methods, vaginal methods and monthly methods for women is progressing well. Collaboration with 10 industrial entities has been established, and more than 60 contracts with investigators at not-for-profit institutions have been funded. It can be concluded that CICCR has provided an efficient and effective mechanism for promoting industrial collaboration in contraceptive R&D, and fills a need not covered by other agencies active in the field.