FDA advisers back approval for first pill shown to protect healthy people from AIDS virus
A panel of federal health advisers has endorsed the first drug shown to prevent HIV infection in healthy people, clearing the way for a potentially landmark approval in the 30-year-old effort against the virus that causes AIDS.In a series of votes, the Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recommended approval of the daily pill Truvada for healthy people who are at high risk of contracting HIV, including gay and bisexual men and heterosexual couples with one HIV-infected person. The FDA is not required to follow the panel’s advice, though it usually does. A final decision is expected by June 15.
Really interested in long term effects on this one. If it ends up safe you may see HIV positive people in the military eventually.
Pfft. Some drugs seem to sell far better as off-label prescriptions than they ever did for their purported original intended use. Hopefully, though, an approval would make more prescribing doctors aware of the drug, or make them more inclined to offer it.
Regardless, I hope it is effective and the people who can benefit from its use have access to it.
But but but… if you take away HIV then people won’t be afraid to have sex!
I suspect that the timing of this will be touted as part of Obama’s ‘support for the gay agenda’.
http://scienceblogs.com/erv/2012/05/14/the-pill-for-hiv-no-really-thi/