US Pharm. 2012;37(8):8.
Silver Spring, MD—Truvada (emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) has been approved by the FDA to reduce the risk of sexually acquired HIV-1 infection in adults who do not have HIV but are at high risk of becoming infected. The antiretroviral drug is to be taken once daily and used in combination with safer sex practices. Truvada is not a new product; it was previously approved for use in combination with other medications to treat HIV. Developed by Gilead Sciences, the estimated annual cost of the drug is $13,000. Debra Birnkrant, MD, director of the Division of Antiviral Products at the FDA, stated, “It is still better to prevent HIV than to treat a life-long infection of HIV.”
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