'Gamechanging' HIV pill cuts risk of infection by 86%

A daily pill should be made available through the NHS 'as soon as possible' according to campaigners.

17:06 25 February 2015

A new pill that dramatically reduces the risk of contracting HIV has been described as “extremely exciting” and a “game-changer” by leading specialists who are now campaigning for it to be made available through the NHS “as soon as possible”.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) cuts the risk of HIV infection among 'high risk' gay men by 86%.

The pills, which will cost £423 per month for each patient, are being considered for free distribution by the NHS.

The Proud trial took place across 12 NHS trusts in Brighton, London, York, Manchester, Birmingham and Sheffield to provide real-world evidence using 545 HIV-negative gay men, who were sexually active and had recently had unprotected sex.

“These results are extremely exciting and show PrEP is highly effective at preventing HIV infection in the real world,” said Sheena McCormack, professor of clinical epidemiology at the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at University College London.

“Concerns that PrEP would not work so well in the real world were unfounded. These results show there is a need for PrEP, and offer hope of reversing the epidemic among men who have sex with men in this country. The findings we’ve presented today are going to be invaluable in informing discussions about making PrEP available through the NHS.”