FDA Approves First Pill to Help Prevent HIV
The Food and Drug Administration approved the first drug shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection on Monday, July 16.
Gilead Sciences’ pill Truvada was approved as a preventative measure for people who are at high risk of acquiring HIV through sexual activity, such as those who have HIV-infected partners, according to HIV.gov. Truvada was previously approved for use with other drugs to treat HIV. This is the first time the FDA has approved a drug to prevent HIV infection.
Truvada will be prescribed to people who are at a high risk of becoming infected with HIV, such as those with an HIV infected partner.
Previously, Gilead Sciences had marketed Truvada as a treatment for people who were already infected with the virus. Beginning in 2010, several studies came out that showed the drug could actually prevent people from contracting HIV when used as a precautionary measure. Although some doctors had previously already prescribed Truvada as a preventative approach, the FDA’s approval allows Gilead Sciences to market the drug specifically for preventative use, which could dramatically increase prescriptions.
The approval has revealed several disagreements about how to manage the disease. Groups such as the AIDs Healthcare Foundation asked the FDA to reject the new indication, saying it could give patients a false sense of security, and reduce the use of condoms. Others were concerned participants wouldn’t adhere to the pill’s daily-dose regiment, which is necessary for it to work.
In the U.S. about 1.2 million people are infected with HIV and about 50,000 new infections are diagnosed each year, a level that has been stable for the past decade.
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