Scientists Discover New Drug to Help Prevent Spread of HIV
Two new studies conducted by the Center of Disease Control and the University of Washington have found a new type of daily pill that could help in the prevention of HIV in heterosexual men and women.
The pills are created by Gilead Sciences Inc. called Truvada and Viread. The first of the studies involved more than 1,200 men and women in Botswana. About half of the participants received Truvada while the other half got a fake pill.
Results of the study showed that of the people consistently taking the medication, four of those on Truvada became infected with HIV while 19 of the individuals who took the fake pill were infected.
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Researchers tell the Associated Press that this indicates Truvada lowered the risk of infection by about 78 percent.
The second study involved more than 4,700 heterosexual couples in Kenya and Uganda. Each couple used in the study comprised of one individual who was HIV positive and one that did not have the virus.
The uninfected were given daily placebos, Truvada pills, or Viread. The study found of the people who took Truvada 13 people were infected, as well as 18 in those on Viread, and 47 of those on dummy pills.
Again, the statistics clearly indicated that the new HIV medication greatly reduced the spread of the infection.
Researchers refuted a prior study conducted earlier this year that found the pills were not effective, stating that the study’s results may have been flawed.
Dr. Lynn Paxton of the CDC tells the Associated Press that a reason for the flawed results could be that the participants did not take the medication as often as they should have.
Professionals are very optimistic about the findings: "This is good news. This is a good day for HIV prevention," tells Paxton.
