Gilead Sciences’ Truvada shows pre-exposure prophylaxis benefits

Gilead Sciences' antiretroviral drug Truvada has been shown to be an effective way of helping men who have sex with men to protect themselves against HIV exposure.

The new Proud study, carried out by University College London, has underlined the drug's benefits when used as a means of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), preventing patients from becoming infected if exposed to the virus.

Launched in 2012, the study enrolled 545 participants at 13 sexual health clinics in England. The study randomised participants to receive PrEP immediately or to receive PrEP after a period of 12 months, allowing researchers to compare those on PrEP versus those not yet on PrEP.

Results from the trial indicated that Truvada was highly protective for men who had sex with men, reducing their risk of infection by 86 percent.

Lead study investigator Sheena McCormack, professor of clinical epidemiology at the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at University College London, said: "These results are extremely exciting and show PrEP is highly effective at preventing HIV infection in the real world. Concerns that PrEP would not work so well in the real world were unfounded."

The therapy consists of a combination of emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and is also used in the treatment of those already infected with HIV.