There has been a breakthrough in the fight against HIV. Researchers found taking a single daily pill containing two HIV drugs can reduce risk of contracting the virus, according the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony S. Fauci said he and other researchers found that taking a single daily pill containing two HIV drugs can reduce risk of contracting the virus by an average of 44% — and by more than 70% if the subjects consistently take the HIV drugs.
Dr. Fauci said the study involved nearly 2, 500 high-risk gay men, but he hopes the study can also help other groups.
“There are ongoing studies in women and heterosexual men. It is likely we will, because they are even at less risk than men who have sex with men,” said Fauci.
According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, half of the participants were given a daily dose of Truvada, a pill containing the AIDS drugs emtricitabine and tenofovir, and the other half were given a placebo. Truvada was chosen due its limited side effects and predominant worldwide usage.
According to researchers, for those who took it on more than 50% of the days the risk of contracting HIV fell by 50.2%. However, for those who took it 90% or more of the days, the risk fell by 72.8%.
USC Professor of Pharmaceuticals Studies and Policy Joel Hay said the study is good news, but it is nothing new.
Hay said what is new about the study is that it tested the drugs on high risk gay bisexual men who are at risk of transmitting it to their partners.
“The medication is effective in surpassing the virus, and it is also effective in preventing transmission,” Hay said.
Yet, Hay said even with the study there are still high levels of caution people should take.
“This is not a miracle cure for AIDS or for preventing transmission. It is only 40-70% effective, so that means 30-70 % are actually going to get HIV.”
Hay also said the HIV virus is highly capable of mutating and when people don’t use drugs according to the instructions, it allows the HIV virus a chance to mutate or to progress into AIDS.
