In a result that may change approaches to HIV prevention in Africa, an international study has shown that individuals at high risk for HIV infection who took a daily tablet containing an HIV medicationeither the antiretroviral medication tenofovir ( TDF ) or tenofovir in combination with emtricitabine ( FTC/TDF ) experienced significantly fewer HIV infections than those who received a placebo pill, according to a press release from the University of Washington International Clinical Research Center.
According to the researchers involved in the study, these findings are clear evidence that this new HIV prevention strategycalled pre-exposure prophylaxis ( or PrEP ) substantially reduces HIV-infection risk.
The study involves 4,758 HIV serodiscordant couples ( in which one partner has HIV and the other does not ) from nine research sites in Kenya and Uganda. "This study is the largest study to date looking at the effectiveness of PrEP," said Dr. Connie Celum, a University of Washington professor of global health and medicine and the principal investigator of the study, known as the Partners PrEP Study.
Through May 31, 2011, a total of 78 HIV infections occurred in the study: 18 among those assigned TDF, 13 among those assigned to FTC/TDF and 47 among those assigned placebo.
"This is an extremely exciting finding for the field of HIV prevention. Now, more than ever, the priority for HIV prevention research must be on how to deliver successful prevention strategies, like PrEP, to populations in greatest need," said Dr. Jared Baeten, co-chair of the study and a University of Washington associate professor of global health and medicine.