New Monoclonal Authorized to Prevent COVID in Immunocompromised People
The FDA issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for pemivibart (Pemgarda) as COVID-19 pre-exposure prophylaxis in immunocompromised individuals who are unlikely to mount a sufficient immune response following vaccination, the agency announced on Friday. A long-acting monoclonal antibody, pemivibart is specifically authorized for people ages 12 years and older (and weighing 40 kg or more) […]
Co-Pays Hurt PrEP Use, Study Suggests
Higher out-of-pocket costs for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) were projected to lead to more people discontinuing PrEP altogether in a new analysis, raising concerns about a possible rise in HIV infections. Risk-adjusted abandonment rates climbed from 5.5% among patients with no cost sharing to a projected 42.6% for patients with $500 out-of-pocket costs in a […]
One PrEP Regimen Linked to Higher Risk of Hypertension, Statin Use Over Another
Use of tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF) for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) was associated with an increased risk of hypertension and the initiation of statin use within 2 years compared with the use of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF; Viread), especially for people over age 40, a retrospective cohort study found. In a cohort of patients without […]
Long-Acting Injection Preferred Over Daily Pills for PrEP
BRISBANE, Australia – When given a choice for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent infection with HIV, women preferred injectable cabotegravir (Apretude) every 2 months rather than an oral pill daily, researchers reported here. About 78% of women enrolled in the landmark HPTN 084 trial said they preferred the injection over taking the pills, said Mina […]
Feds Spent Even More on PrEP Combo Than Previously Thought
The federal government may have contributed far more to the development of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) than previously estimated, researchers reported. While previous estimates said the federal government spent $50 million on the development of combination tenofovir/emtricitabine, or TDF/FTC (Truvada), it actually spent at least $143 million, according to a new estimate by Frazer Tessema, […]
HIV Prevention, Care Showed Resilience During the COVID Pandemic
Drops in HIV testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) prescriptions early on in the pandemic quickly stabilized by the third quarter of 2020, according to a CDC report. The number of HIV tests performed nationally exceeded 2.4 million in the first quarter of 2020 and was reduced by 32% in the second quarter — with the […]
COVID Prevention Tx Safe, Shows Efficacy in High-Risk Groups
A monoclonal antibody cocktail designed for COVID-19 pre-exposure prophylaxis was safe, and appeared to be effective across populations at risk of severe COVID and who may have a subpar response to vaccination, a researcher said. AZD7442 (tixagevimab/cilgavimab) met its primary endpoint, reducing the risk of symptomatic COVID-19 among high-risk populations by 77% (95% CI 46%-90%), […]
Long-Acting Injectable for HIV Prevention Passes Hurdles, but Barriers Remain
Long-acting injectable HIV prevention with cabotegravir was superior to daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate-emtricitabine (TDF/FTC; Truvada) in men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women, a randomized trial found. Among more than 4,500 participants in the phase IIb/III trial, 13 incident infections occurred in the cabotegravir group compared with […]
Drug Resistance in People on PrEP Who Acquire HIV
While a small subset of individuals acquired HIV despite being in a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) program, many of those people had mutations resistant to antiretroviral drugs, according to a study from the Global Evaluation of Microbicide Sensitivity (GEMS) project. Breakthrough HIV infections occurred in 204 individuals in GEMS, out of more than 104,000 people in […]