AIDS experts greet drug discovery with caution

published on November 24, 2010 in CTV.ca

Experts in HIV-AIDS are hailing the discovery that an antiretroviral medication appears to also prevent HIV infection as an important finding, but say the medication can't replace condoms.

The study, released Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, looked at Truvada, a medication already used in HIV patients to reduce their "viral load" -- the amount of the virus in their bodies. The research found that when uninfected gay and bisexual men took the medication daily, it helped reduce their risk of acquiring HIV.

The pill reduced the risk of infection by about 44 per cent compared to those given a placebo. Those participants who adhered most closely to the daily regimen had even higher prevention rates.; their risk of infection was up to 73 per cent lower than those taking the dummy pill.

Dr. Robert Hogg of the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, says while the finding is exciting, the study looked at a very specific population group.

"This is a dramatic finding, and in terms of the prevention, it is a very interesting one," Hogg told CTV's Canada AM Wednesday. "But we have to put it into context. In terms of other prevention activities, it's not going to replace condoms."

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© Copyright BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS
St. Paul's Hospital 608–1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6Z 1Y6
Tel: 604-806-8477 | Fax: 604-806-9044
General inquiries: info@bccfe.ca
Media inquiries: communications@bccfe.ca
(Please do not use any of these email addresses to send personal information or book an appointment. To book appointments or contact the H2H clinic, please call 604-416-1517 or fax: 604-564-4893. Do not send your or your client's personal information via email.)

Our work serves clients and communities across British Columbia on lands and waters cared for and nurtured by the many distinct First Nations across the province. The BC-CfE humbly and gratefully acknowledge the stewards of these lands, particularly the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh) on whose unceded, traditional and ancestral territories our offices are located.