Posted on February 07, 2018
Source: Fortune
"New Zealand is about to take a pioneering approach to fighting HIV/AIDS—by publicly funding pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication Truvada, manufactured by U.S. biotech giant Gilead. Taking this drug daily has shown to offer more than 90% (and as much as 99%) effective protection against HIV in clinical trials, and certain New Zealand residents will soon be able to get a three-month supply for just $5 (oh, and that’s five New Zealand dollars, which is about $3.64 in U.S. money).
The drastic price cut (Truvada currently costs about $30 per day in New Zealand) could go a long way toward widescale HIV prevention, as the discount will be targeted toward the most high-risk residents. That includes men who have sex with men, transgender people who have sex with men, those with higher chances of engaging in risky sexual behavior such as sex without a condom, and people with partners who are HIV positive."
