Pre-exposure pill shows promise protecting against HIV infection but it's pricey

published on December 1, 2015 by Susan Lazaruk, in The Province

The disclosure by HIV-positive actor Charlie Sheen’s ex-girlfriend that she took a pill to prevent her from getting the disease has focused attention on Truvada.

The pill, which has been shown to reduce infection in HIV-negative partners of those with HIV by more than 90 per cent, is approved for that purpose in the U.S. but in Canada the drug’s two ingredients are approved only for use to combat HIV.

The pill’s U.S. manufacturer, Gilead Sciences, has applied for approval for Truvada as a pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP.

...

Dr. Julio Montaner of the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS said Truvada should be prescribed for sex workers or men who have sex with men but not for intravenous drug users “because there are several harm reduction strategies available” for drug users.

He said PrEP should come third in treatment options, behind treatment as prevention and condoms.

The centre is waiting to hear if the province will cover the drug under Pharmacare, as Montaner is recommending.

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© Copyright BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS
St. Paul's Hospital 608–1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6Z 1Y6
Tel: 604-806-8477 | Fax: 604-806-9044
General inquiries: info@bccfe.ca
Media inquiries: communications@bccfe.ca
(Please do not use any of these email addresses to send personal information or book an appointment. To book appointments or contact the H2H clinic, please call 604-416-1517 or fax: 604-564-4893. Do not send your or your client's personal information via email.)

Our work serves clients and communities across British Columbia on lands and waters cared for and nurtured by the many distinct First Nations across the province. The BC-CfE humbly and gratefully acknowledge the stewards of these lands, particularly the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh) on whose unceded, traditional and ancestral territories our offices are located.