Time to read
Deborah Jack, Chief Executive of NAT (National AIDS Trust), comments:
NAT welcome the exciting news that taking antiretroviral drugs (drugs that help treat HIV) before being exposed to HIV may prevent HIV infection. This is known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, and could become a significant weapon in the fight against HIV.
‘Trial results have been published which show that those who took the drug once a day had a 44% reduced risk of becoming infected. It also showed that people who took the drug more consistently had greater protection against HIV than those who were less consistent in how they took it.
‘This is first proof of concept for PrEP and marks another important milestone in the field of new HIV prevention technologies (NPTs) research. With the exciting news that we now have proof of concept for a microbicide (a topical treatment which could prevent HIV transmission during sex), and first evidence of efficacy for an AIDS vaccines published last year, this is a critical time to advance research into new ways of preventing HIV.
I’f effective, these technologies could save millions of lives. There is still a long way to go until NPTs are widely available, but these trial results remind us why it is crucial that we continue to support this research.’