A clinical trial conducted in South Africa and Uganda found that a new pre-exposure prophylaxis drug (PrEP) provides young women between the ages of 16 and 25 with complete protection against HIV infection.
The New England Journal of Medicine published a confirmation of the study, which indicated that positive findings resulted in an earlier-than-expected conclusion of the experiment.
UNAIDS reported 1.3 million new HIV infections globally last year, falling short of the 2025 target and the goal of ending AIDS by 2030.
This development raises the prospect of an extremely effective HIV preventive tool with great potential. For a young woman facing stigma or violence, two injections a year can ensure HIV protection with no need for frequent clinic visits or medication use.
HIV scientists and activists think that by limiting the frequency of this prevention decision to twice a year, young people would experience less uncertainty and difficulties.
Gilead Sciences plans to submit the dossier, including all data, to national authorities in South Africa and Uganda within the next few months. Another important strategy for lowering costs is the announcement that it will provide licenses to businesses that produce generic medications.
“We anticipate that this novel medication will become part of national and WHO guidelines. To better understand how to use the medication in real-world circumstances, we also expect to see further trials testing it. In an ideal world, governments could afford to buy this and provide HIV protection to everyone who requests it,” said Gilead Sciences.
The World Health Organization will also review the data and may issue recommendations.
Source: HealthyNation.com
