US Health Experts Approves HIV Prevention Pill

A panel of US health experts has approved the anti-HIV daily pill called ‘Truvada’ for use by people considered at ‘high risk’ of contracting the Aids virus, BBC said.

This was the first time the US health experts have backed a drug to prevent HIV infection among healthy people and the US Food and Drug Administration, who was not required to follow the expert’s advice, was likely to heed to their recommendation.

But the drug-Truvada-was already approved by the FDA for people who are HIV-positive, being taken along with other existing anti-retroviral drugs.

Made by California-based Gilead Sciences, it reduced the risk of HIV in healthy gay men - and among HIV-negative heterosexual partners of people who are HIV positive - by between 44% and 73%.

Some health workers and groups active in the HIV community have opposed the approval of the drug, based on concerns that users could gain a false sense of security, and fears of a drug-resistant strain of HIV.

Nurse Karen Haughey told the panel during their meeting in a lengthy public comments session in Silver Spring, Maryland, "Truvada needs to be taken every day, 100% of the time, and my experience as a registered nurse tells me that won't happen.”

But other welcomed the panel’s recommendation with Mitchell Warren, executive director of the Aids Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, saying "This brings us closer to a watershed for global HIV prevention efforts."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18030057