via Citizen News Service, by Bobby Ramakant At the recently concluded XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012), not only the decibels went up on ending AIDS but also sane voices were heard demanding a well-costed and thought-through strategy on how to end AIDS. One of the strategies that will complement a comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment, care and Read More >>

via Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report In the United States, an estimated 48,100 new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections occurred in 2009 (1). Of these, 27% were in heterosexual men and women who did not inject drugs, and 64% were in men who have sex with men (MSM), including 3% in MSM who inject drugs. In January Read More >>

[Press release from AIDS Foundation of Chicago – home to IRMA] Historic decision makes Truvada the first drug approved to reduce the risk of HIV infection from sexual contact among HIV-negative individuals at elevated risk of infection Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Gilead’s  antiretroviral drug Truvada for HIV prevention — known Read More >>

via bloomberg.com, by Anna Edney Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD), the world’s largest maker of AIDS drugs, said U.S. regulators delayed by three months a decision on whether the company can expand use of its HIV treatment Truvada as a therapy to prevent the virus. The Food and Drug Administration moved the target date to Sept. 14 so Read More >>

On May 10, 2012 the FDA Antiviral Drug Advisory Committee strongly recommended that emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF/FTC or Truvada) be approved for use as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among sexually active adult men and women – particularly gay men and other MSM, serodiscordant heterosexual couples, and other individuals at high risk. It is likely the FDA will follow Read More >>

[IRMA highly recommends this one. Brilliant, strategic, thoughtful, sober, forward-thinking – a must read] via POZ, by David Evans Excerpt: Give people the facts–the whole picture–and let them decide whether PrEP is right for them Let’s tell people how effective the drug is when they actually take it as prescribed–over 90 percent effective–and stop quoting statistics from Read More >>

via Lancet.com, by Salim S Abdool Karim  and Quarraisha Abdool Karim On May 10, 2012, a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee voted in support of the use of tenofovir-emtricitabine for HIV prevention.1 If the FDA, which is scheduled to make its decision by June 15, adopts the committee’s recommendations, tenofovir-emtricitabine will become the first Read More >>

Read this excellent explanation/sumary via Medscape, by Janis C. Kelly The US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Antiviral Drugs Advisory Committee has strongly backed approval of the first-ever drug for the prevention of sexually acquired HIV-1 infection.In a marathon 12-hour session, the panel recommended approval of a supplemental indication for Truvada (emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) for preexposure prophylaxis Read More >>

via PRNewswire In public comments submitted this week, a group of 14 leading HIV/AIDS and health organizations stated their support for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of emtricitabine/ tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF/FTC or Truvada®) as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV infection in adult men and women. Their comments, submitted in advance of a May 10 Read More >>

Thursday, May 10, 2012 Contact: Mitchell Warren, mitchell@avac.org, +1-914-661-1536 Kay Marshall, kay@avac.org, +1-347-249-6375 AVAC Urges FDA Approval of PrEP Following Positive Advisory Committee Recommendation; Lays out Priorities to Ensure Access New York, NY — AVAC hails the recommendation by an FDA Advisory Committee that emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF/FTC or Truvada) be approved for use as pre-exposure prophylaxis Read More >>