HIV: Generic Truvada Gets FDA Nod
Anyone who’s on Truvada knows that it can be a strain on the budget, especially if you’re not on insurance. At the moment, getting Truvada can cost you more than $1500 without insurance, and up to $500 with it. However, recent news suggest that there might be relief up ahead.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently permitted a generic formulation for Gilead Science’s Truvada, which could have a huge impact on how much people pay for the antiretroviral. Just to refresh everyone’s memory, generic formulations of brand name drugs have exactly the same effect but come at a much cheaper price.
The announcement that took HIV advocates by surprise probably came about Gilead’s patent for tenofovir disoproxil fumarate — a component of Truvada — is about to expire next month. The approval grants the company Teva Pharmaceuticals the right to produce a generic version of the drug, according to Poz.
While a generic version of Truvada is something to be excited about, the news does come with a catch. It looks like a generic version still only a possibility at the moment, as Gilead still holds the patent for emtricitabine, the other medication in Truvada, until 2021.
Gilead even said as much in statement: “A generic version of Truvada will not be immediately available. It’s important to note that there are a number of factors involved in commercialization that are not tied directly to FDA approval.”
Aside from that, HIV advocates have also voiced concerns about how a generic version of Truvada may affect costs for people taking the treatment. Poz quotes ACT UP and Treatment Action Group veteran Peter Staley, who says that “Gilead’s patient and copay assistance programs have become central pillars in patient access. They must maintain these programs, and Teva must establish equivalent or better assistance programs for their generic version.”
Are you currently taking Truvada? What do you guys think about this news? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.
NOT that it’ll be any good. Anyone with any pharmacological experience, or a practicing MD will know that “generics,” due to the corrupt FDA, only have to exhibit a 30% efficacy to get certified by them. 30% efficacy to fight a potentially deadly AND contagious virus? NO thank you.
I stupidly believed a man who told me he was neg and on prep, he was not on prep, and now Im HIV pos bc of him. lessons learned wear a condom! and for those of you bareback freaks who think you’re not hurting anyone by spreading your STDs, you’re filthy habits are hurting people.