It’s no cure, but we’ll take it.
Truvada, a prescription antiretroviral drug approved in 2004 to suppress the progress of HIV in infected men and women, was approved on Monday by the Food and Drug Administration for use in those not infected by the disease. LGBTQ test study individuals were found to be 42% less likely to contract the disease when used in conjunction with other safe-sex practices, making it a significant — but not conclusive — victory in the on-going battle against HIV.
“Practicing safer sex and good health practices must be part of the treatment,” said Dr. Debra Birnkrandt, director of the Division of Antiviral Products, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the FDA. “We will be putting a box warning to let those using Truvada know that it is part of the therapy with combination of safer sex practices, and that doing this, will reduce the risk of the development of AIDS/HIV.”
The use of Truvada has additionally been shown to reduce the risk of becoming infected by 75% in heterosexual partners, making the drug stand out as particularly monumental as 50,000 new cases of HIV are reported each year.
Time will tell how effective the drug will be as a preventative tool, particularly as health insurance companies remain hesitant to cover pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) preventative drugs akin to the newly-approved Truvada.