Health experts in B.C. are examining an HIV prevention drug that a Vancouver gay men’s health group wants to see covered provincially.
The drug, called Truvada, was approved by Health Canada last year, and is prescribed both as a treatment for people with the disease, and as a preventative therapy meant to keep the virus at bay for people at high risk.
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Doctors at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV-AIDS are now looking at what it can do.
“There is very promising signs that this can improve the quality of life for people and keep people well,” said Dix.
“So the right people are reviewing the drug right now, and the question of coverage, and I’m sure they’ll have a recommendation soon.”
Dix said their finding is expected in the next several months.
“I don’t think we are talking about a year, no, no, no. But I’m not rushing the process,” he said.
“People are doing their work, they’re going to make a recommendation, and then we’re going to review that and hopefully be able to act on that.”
Jody Jollimore with the Vancouver-based Community-Based Research Centre for Gay Men’s Health said the group has high hopes the NDP will approve the drug.
“We have heard that they are waiting for more research, that they’re waiting for the price to go down,” he said.