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FDA approves first injectable
PrEP medication to lower HIV risk |
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The FDA
has approved the first injectable medication
for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to lower the risk of getting HIV through
sex, it announced last week. Apretude
is approved for adults and teens who are at risk of getting HIV through sex
and who weigh at least 77 pounds. It's given first as two shots a month
apart, and every two months afterward. PrEP was
previously available only in the form of pills, Truvada
and Descovy. "Today's
approval adds an important tool in the effort to end the HIV epidemic by
providing the first option to prevent HIV that does not involve taking a
daily pill," said Dr. Debra Birnkrant, director of the Division of
Antivirals in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Approval
of the new drug "will be critical to addressing the HIV epidemic in the
U.S., including helping high-risk individuals and certain groups where
adherence to daily medication has been a major challenge or not a realistic
option," Birnkrant added. An
estimated 34,800 new cases of HIV were diagnosed in 2019, the latest year for
which federal statistics are available. That's down from 37,800 in 2015. |
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