Celanese VitalDose® Drug Delivery Platform Will Enable the Population Council’s Contraceptive and HIV Multipurpose Prevention Technology

Celanese Corporation (NYSE: CE), a global specialty materials and chemical company, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with the Population Council to supply its VitalDose^® Drug Delivery Platform for use in a new Multipurpose Prevention Technology (MPT) Intravaginal Ring (IVR). The IVR is being developed to provide both contraception and protection against HIV and is currently in a phase 1b clinical trial.

Long-acting continuous drug delivery dose forms, like IVRs, offer fewer barriers to reliable use than oral forms requiring daily doses. Providing benefits for patients, like enhanced convenience, can lead to better outcomes and is the driver for developing patient-centric dose forms. The VitalDose Drug Delivery Platform has been used in patient-centric dose forms in women’s health for over two decades, offering tunable and consistent elution for a variety of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) molecules.

“Our data indicate that women overwhelmingly prefer, and are more likely to use, a multipurpose prevention product that prevents pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection acquisition over a product that prevents only one of the two,” said Bríd Devlin, Chief Scientific Officer of Product Development at the Population Council. “This IVR would address the need for a contraceptive solution while also providing preventive therapy against HIV at a time when 63 percent of new HIV infections are contracted by women and girls.”

“There is an undeniable need for new patient-centric technologies that provide women with new healthcare options and address the overlapping global burdens of unintended pregnancy and HIV,” said Susan Rahe, Vice President of Pharmaceutical Solutions at Celanese. “Our team recognizes the benefits of a sustained release dose form to further the work of Population Council as they continue to develop global treatments to benefit the lives of patients.”

The VitalDose Drug Delivery Platform provides reliable, controlled-release performance for a wide range of molecule types and has a long history of use in approved parenteral drug products in the United States, Europe and many other geographies. For more information on Celanese VitalDose technology, visit www.vitaldose.com.

About Celanese

Celanese Corporation is a global chemical leader in the production of differentiated chemistry solutions and specialty materials used in most major industries and consumer applications. Our businesses use the full breadth of Celanese's global chemistry, technology and commercial expertise to create value for our customers, employees, shareholders and the corporation. As we partner with our customers to solve their most critical business needs, we strive to make a positive impact on our communities and the world through The Celanese Foundation. Based in Dallas, Celanese employs approximately 13,000 employees worldwide and had 2022 net sales of $9.7 billion. For more information about Celanese Corporation and its product offerings, visit www.celanese.com.

About the Population Council

The Population Council is a leading research organization dedicated to building an equitable and sustainable world that enhances the health and well-being of current and future generations. We generate ideas, produce evidence, and design solutions to improve the lives of underserved populations around the world. Learn more at www.popcouncil.org.

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