The New Zealand AIDS Foundation is greeting the news of a new combination drug to prevent HIV infection with caution. Condoms are still the "best, cheapest and simplest form of protection," says Steven Attwood of NZAF. Truvada is a combination of tenofovir (Viread) and emtricitabine (or FTC – Emtriva), drugs already used in HIV treatment. Truvada has been shown to actually prevent HIV infection in monkeys. The macaques (monkeys) were given 14 blasts of human and monkey HIV viruses after being administered Truvada, and none of them became infected. Furthermore, no infection occurred even after the drug treatment ceased, which illustrates the drug is working, and not merely suppressing symptoms for a short time. Gilead Sciences Inc., a Californian company, made the discovery. Gilead is also the inventor of Tamiflu, marketed to treat bird flu. US health authorities are optimistic: "This is the first thing I've seen at this point that I think really could have a prevention impact. If it works (in humans), it could be distributed quickly and blunt the epidemic," said Thomas Folks of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Truvada is yet to be tested on humans. However, the NZAF has urged the media to be cautious when reporting such medical advances, for fear of detracting from the simple message that condoms should be used for anal and vaginal sex. "The development of a pill to prevent HIV infection would be welcome, and would be especially effective for people who will not change high-risk sexual behaviours and will not use a condom. But, at the likely cost of some hundreds of dollars a month, and with the very real possibility of side-effects, such pills will hardly be a cheap or easy alternative to a few dollars worth of rubber." The NZAF would like to see more money invested globally in the promotion of condoms as the best way to prevent HIV infection.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Thursday, 30th March 2006 - 12:00pm