FDA Poised To Approve Existing Med For Daily HIV Prevention

The FDA has signaled that it is about to approve the usage of Truvada as a daily preventive for HIV infection among high-risk populations.

The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that Gilead Sciences' Truvada appears to be safe and effective for HIV prevention. It concluded that taking the pill daily could spare patients "infection with a serious and life-threatening illness that requires lifelong treatment." On Thursday a panel of FDA advisers will consider the review when it votes on whether Truvada should be approved as a preventative treatment for people who are at high risk of contracting HIV through sexual intercourse. The FDA is not required to follow the advice of its panels, but it usually does.

Most major AIDS groups have endorsed the usage of Truvada as a daily preventive. One notable exception is the controversial AIDS Healthcare Foundation, who recently launched a media campaign warning that the long-term effects of such medications remains unclear.