AIDS Drugs Can Prevent Infection, Studies Show

Two new studies released early Wednesday show that AIDS drugs can prevent heterosexuals from acquiring HIV, adding to a growing number of new methods to slow the spread of the virus world-wide. Many researchers now believe that science has developed sufficient tools to contain the pandemic. But tight budgets may evening dresses limit their deployment. The results are the latest to demonstrate that existing medications are an important tool for prevention as well as treatment of HIV/AIDS, and show their effectiveness in the population hardest hit by HIV globally—heterosexuals in Africa. The findings also are likely to help alleviate concerns that emerged in April after another study was unable to determine whether the drugs protected high-risk women. Both of the new studies, conducted in different African countries, found that giving antiretroviral drugs to heterosexuals reduced the risk of HIV infection by at least 62%—”which is huge,” said Jared Baeten, co-chair of a study led by researchers at the University of Washington International Clinical Research Center.
That study examined 4,758 heterosexual couples in Kenya and Uganda in which one partner had HIV but quinceanera dress the other didn’t. Researchers found that those who received a daily dose of a drug called tenofovir had an average of 62% fewer infections than those taking a placebo, while those who received a drug combining tenofovir and another medication, emtricitabine, had an average of 73% fewer infections. The drugs are marketed by Gilead Sciences Inc. under the brand names Viread and Truvada, respectively.The study, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, wasn’t supposed to end until late 2012. But after reviewing ongoing results, an independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board decided Sunday to halt the trial early because the findings were so strong, Dr. Baeten said. “We’re stopping a year and a half early—really, on a dime—because the results were so powerful,” Dr. Baeten said.
Trial participants who were cocktail dresses receiving placebo will stop getting it on Thursday, and they will be offered the chance to take either of the antiretroviral medicines, Dr. Baeten said. A separate study led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of 1,200 uninfected heterosexual men and women in Botswana found that those taking a once-daily dose of Truvada reduced their risk of acquiring HIV by about 63% compared to those taking a placebo. CDC researchers believe the results may be even stronger among participants who adhered closely to the regimen.“This is exciting news for HIV prevention both within the U.S. and globally,” said Kevin Fenton, director of the CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention. “We’re beginning to understand that these Strapless neckline cocktail dress antiretroviral drugs are powerful tools for prevention toolkits.” The CDC had planned to release the results of its four-year study, which it finished earlier this year, at an international AIDS conference in Rome next week. But it accelerated its release to coincide with the other study results, Dr. Fenton said.