<0> AHF Advocacy Against Gilead’s Truvada as HIV Prevention Yields Stronger FDA Drug Warning Label </0>
<0> AIDS Healthcare FoundationCommunications DirectorWork: 323-308-1833Cell: 323-791-5526orAIDS Healthcare FoundationPublic Affairs ManagerWork: 213-590-7375 </0>
, the nation’s largest HIV/AIDS nonprofit medical provider, welcomed the news today the boxed warning label (also called the ‘black box warning’) on blockbuster AIDS treatment Truvada for use as a form of an HIV prevention pill appears much stronger than proposed versions of the label earlier this year. The new warning label is being welcomed by AIDS advocates from AHF and other organizations who were astounded by a recommendation by a Advisory Panel to allow Gilead to market use of Truvada as a form of HIV prevention in uninfected individuals, particularly when the panel—comprised of 23 physicians, scientists and members of the general public—also recommended that the FDA allow Gilead to market the drug for such use without requirement for HIV testing whatsoever.
“From the beginning, AHF and many other advocates strenuously opposed use of this well-established AIDS treatment as a form of an HIV prevention pill, concerned about both the efficacy of the treatment as well as medication adherence issues among uninfected high-risk populations,” said , President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “It is difficult for many of those who are already infected with HIV to properly comply with daily drug regimens. Expecting uninfected people to remember to take a drug every day for a disease that they don’t have is an even more daunting challenge. At least now the ‘black box warning’ label on Truvada for prevention recommends HIV testing every three months. It is good to see that the FDA and Gilead have finally come to this realization. I believe it was in part because of our advocacy over the past year opposing the drug for this use that this warning label is now stronger.”
The FDA Advisory Panel took place in May in Silver Spring, MD, at FDA headquarters. Nearly 30 advocates from AHF and other groups spoke against use of the drug for HIV prevention to the panel, which nevertheless indicated it would give preliminary approval to Gilead for use as HIV prevention.
Later in the summer, at the Summit, held in London June 11-12, a Gilead official publicly disclosed in a plenary session in which he was participating that use of its blockbuster AIDS treatment Truvada (emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent possible HIV infection have labeling indicating that a negative HIV test will be required before a prescription.
Following is what the Truvada packaging and printed drug warning inserts now state regarding use of the drug for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention:
For PrEP:
(AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to more than 176,000 individuals in 27 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: , find us on Facebook: and follow us on Twitter: .