PrEP can reduce risk of HIV infection among heterosexuals
(ROME, Italy) – Organizers of the 6th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2011) welcomed compelling new data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the University of Washington on the ability of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to reduce HIV acquisition among uninfected individuals exposed to the virus through heterosexual sex. The results of CDC’s TDF2 study were scheduled to be released at IAS 2011, but were released early following the University of Washington’s announcement of the preliminary results of their Partners PrEP study. That trial’s independent data safety monitoring board recommended that the study be stopped early due to strong interim evidence of efficacy. The CDC released their results early to ensure all emerging trial data are available to inform public health and policy discussions. CDC investigators will fully present and discuss the results of TDF2 at the conference.

“We congratulate the researchers on these important trial results and look forward to their presentation in Rome where we will have the opportunity to discuss the data and their implications for HIV prevention initiatives around the world,” said IAS 2011 International Chair and International AIDS Society President Dr. Elly Katabira.

“This new data adds to the cascade of evidence over the past year about the use of ARVs in HIV prevention and IAS 2011 will be a critical moment to examine where we are and where we are heading with the information we now have available,” said Dr. Stefano Vella, IAS 2011 Local Co-Chair and Research Director at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS).

Providing oral ARVs to uninfected individuals prior to HIV exposure is known as pre-exposure prohylaxis or PrEP. These trial results are the first showing that PrEP can work in heterosexuals. Results from the iPrEx trial, released in late 2010, demonstrated the effectiveness of PrEP among men who have sex with men. Preliminary results released earlier this year from another trial, FEM-PrEP, did not demonstrate a protective effect among heterosexual women.

In addition to the release of PrEP-related data, IAS 2011 will feature a satellite session, “What Does the Future of ARV-based Prevention Look Like” (Monday, 18 July, 18:30) and a cross-track bridging session, “Use of Antivirals in Prevention: Current Challenges and Controversies” (Tuesday, 19 July, 16:30).
CDC’s TDF2 was conducted in partnership with the Botswana Ministry of Health and used a daily tablet containing tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and emtricitabine (TDF/FTC, known by the brand name Truvada). For more information on this study, visit [Insert link]

The University of Washington’s Partners PrEP study examined two separate ARV regimens – tenofovir (known by the brand name Viread) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) at trial sites in Kenya and Uganda.
The Trial’s results  scheduled to be presented fully in Rome during IAS 2011, from July 17-20,  highlight the strength of the conference’s scientific programme and critical research advances occurring in HIV.