The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned
Friday that a highly touted new pill used to prevent HIV infections
will work only if doctors are careful in prescribing it.
In its newsletter Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the CDC
warned that doctors providing Truvada to people at high risk of
contracting the virus that can cause AIDS should also screen and
counsel patients in order for it to work.
In a study published in November, researchers tested the pill on
2,500 gay men and found that Truvada can reduce HIV. Overall, they
recorded a 44% lower risk of infection.
Because it isn't certain to prevent infection, doctors also need
to advise patients to use condoms regularly, the CDC said. And
patients must take the drug every day for it to be effective.
One problem, the CDC noted, is cost. Each pill costs $36, which
amounts to $13,000 over the course of a year. And while some
insurers may pay, others may not. Another is the drug's side
effects, the most common of which are nausea and fatigue. Other,
more serious reactions include a buildup of acid in the blood,
pancreatic disease and liver damage.
Full story at:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6003a1.htm?s_cid=mm6003a1_x
-Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2900