US health regulators have for the first time approved a drug to prevent HIV infection.
Truvada can be used by those at high risk of infection and anyone who may engage in sexual activity with HIV-infected partners, said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Gilead Sciences Inc.
Studies showed the drug reduced the risk of contracting HIV by up to 73%.
has marketed Truvada since 2004 as a treatment for people who are already infected with the virus. The once-a-day pill is a combination of two older HIV drugs, Emtriva and Viread.
Starting in 2010, studies showed that the drug could prevent people from contracting HIV when used as a precautionary measure. A three-year study found that daily doses cut the risk of infection in healthy gay and bisexual men by 42 percent, when accompanied by condoms and counseling.
Last year, another study found that Truvada reduced infection by 75 percent in heterosexual couples in which one partner was infected with HIV and the other was not.
Because Truvada is on the market to manage HIV, some doctors already prescribe it as a preventive measure. FDA approval will allow Gilead Sciences to formally market the drug for that use, which could dramatically increase prescriptions.
