Finally it will also be in Italy free pill to prevent HIV infection. The Italian Medicines Agency has given the green light to the reimbursement of PReP, pre-exposure prophylaxis, a pharmacological intervention capable of preventing contagion in people negative for the HIV virus, but with lifestyles that put them at risk of infection. The news was particularly awaited because Italy was one of the very few Western countries where PrEP was on the shoulders of citizens.
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The pill to prevent HIV infection is free: AIFA has placed it in band A
The Pricing and Reimbursement Committee has placed the drug in band A, therefore reimbursable by the National Health Service. According to Anlaids Onlus, the first to reveal the news, this is a historic step. There are no official estimates, but according to data revealed by theItalian Conference on Aids and Antiviral Research, in December 2021 in Italy there were 3641 people in PrEP.
Effective, safe and tolerable therapy
This prophylaxis system obtained the first green light in 2012 from the health authorities of the United States. It took the European Medicines Agency another four years to approve preventive therapy. If taken correctly, this prophylaxis guarantees protection from HIV infection in a percentage that is close to 100%. There are dozens of scientific researches that certify its efficacy, safety and tolerability. The most important health agencies in the world recommend its use to people who have a lifestyle that puts them at high risk of contagion.
Dr. Giuseppe Tambussi, infectious disease specialist at the IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital in Milan explains it better.
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Free pill to prevent HIV infection: the story of PrEP
Approved since 2012 by the FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) already in 2015, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) suggested to the countries of the European Union to consider the adoption of PrEP in national prevention programs for population groups at risk of contracting the virus. In 2016, the auction was also awarded by EMA, the European Medicines Agency. PrEP consists of taking tablets, before and after exposure to the risk of contracting HIV (sexual intercourse without a condom, sharing syringes). Composed of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and emtricitabine, the drug has already been used for some time to control HIV, so its tolerability, safety and efficacy are well known.
What is PrEP?
PrEP is the abbreviation for pre-exposure prophylaxis. Those who follow her must take a drug that contains tenofovir DF and emtricitabine. PrEP allows you to avoid contagion even when having sex with an HIV-positive partner who does not know he is HIV-positive or who is not yet under therapeutic control. Instead, we know that those who are HIV positive and follow antiretroviral therapy correctly, while not eradicating the infection, can no longer infect anyone. This is the famous equation U=U“undetectable = untransmittable”: whoever has an undetectable viral load cannot infect.
Two ways to follow prophylaxis
There are two ways to follow prophylaxis:
- taking the pill every day. This method is recommended for those who have a particularly active sex life and do not know when they will have intercourse.
- Before having sex. In this case, two pills are taken at the same time 24 to 2 hours before having sex, one tablet 24 hours after the first intake, and another pill 24 hours later.
How do I access PrEP?
In order to join the PrEp you need to contact a specialized centre. Here you can find a list. Once the appointment has been obtained, an infectious disease doctor will prescribe the preliminary tests. Anyone who wants to do PrEP must in fact be seronegative. It is also important to evaluate the health of the kidneys and the possible presence of other sexually transmitted infections.
Once the first analyzes have been passed, the exams are repeated every three months. The paradox therefore is that those who follow the path are much more controlled than those who don’t.
As with any therapy there may be side effects. This is the reason, for example, for the kidneys to be checked before deciding on a prescription. The good news is that since 2019, the year in which PrEP began to be administered in Italy, only 0.5% of people have had to stop it.
SOURCE: Higher Institute of Health
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