Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Bloombeg News: Gilead’s Truvada Pill Is Safe for HIV Prevention, FDA Says

 via Bloomberg News, by Ryan Finn and Shannon Pettypiece

Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD)’s pill Truvada was safe and effective when used to protect uninfected people from getting HIV, U.S. regulators said in a report indicating the main concerns are when and how it should be used.

Truvada was “well tolerated” and its ability to reduce the risk of infection was backed by two studies, the Food and Drug Administration staff said in a report today. Gilead, based in Foster City, California, is seeking to sell the drug as the first pill to keep people from becoming infected.

The FDA asked its advisers to suggest who should get Truvada; what testing would be needed for administration; and what educational material should be used for patients and doctors. The advisers will meet May 10 to discuss the drug, the subject of debates over its appropriate use and cost.

Decisions to prescribe Truvada “should carefully weigh the individual risks for acquiring HIV, their understanding of the importance of adherence to medication, and their potential for development of renal toxicity,” the FDA staff said today in a report on the agency’s website. Education and counseling will be “critically important.”

Gilead fell less than 1 percent to 9:57 a.m. New York time. The FDA isn’t required to follow what the advisory panel suggests.

Read the rest.

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