Despite Japan's recent approval of an HIV drug for both treatment and preventative use, its high cost together with insufficient knowledge and awareness are hindering efforts to broaden access to the medicine, experts and community leaders say.
The drug, known by its brand name Truvada, is developed by U.S. drugmaker Gilead Sciences. It was first approved for use as a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) — medication to prevent HIV infections — in the United States in 2012. It has since been used globally as a standard method to prevent infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
PrEP reduces the risk of infection during sex by about 99% when taken as prescribed, and during intravenous drug use by at least 74%, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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