In Germany, a drug used by tens of thousands of people to protect against HIV infection is currently not sufficiently available. Several manufacturers of so-called pre-exposure prophylaxis, or Prep for short, have reported supply bottlenecks, as the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) announced. Since the turn of the year there has been a “development towards limited availability” of the drug.
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According to a survey by the German Association of Outpatient Doctors for Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine (Dagnä), the vast majority of the HIV-focused practices surveyed are affected by the supply bottlenecks. Many could only release reduced pack sizes. Some users even had to interrupt their intake or change their therapy.
Delivery bottlenecks until April
“According to the data we have, the availability of these medicines will stabilize slightly at the beginning of February,” said a spokesman for the federal institute. However, most delivery bottlenecks are currently forecast until March or April. Some manufacturers now tried to increase product quotas or bring them onto the market earlier than originally planned. It is also currently being clarified whether medication could be made available from abroad. “Initial feedback shows that goods quotas could be identified in the USA,” said the spokesman.
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Since September 2019, the drug has been included in statutory health insurance benefits for people with an increased risk of HIV infection. The tablets suppress the virus from multiplying in the body. The drug is also taken by people who are already infected with HIV. According to the Robert Koch Institute, around 40,000 people in Germany used Prep in September 2023.
“Politicians must not abandon people who urgently need this medication,” said Sven Warminsky from the board of the German Aid Aid Association a few weeks ago. Safe sex is endangered by the lack. If protection against HIV continues to fail, it will have “fatal consequences”.
In Germany, a drug used by tens of thousands of people to protect against HIV infection is currently not sufficiently available. Several manufacturers of so-called pre-exposure prophylaxis, or Prep for short, have reported supply bottlenecks, as the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) announced. Since the turn of the year there has been a “development towards limited availability” of the drug.
According to a survey by the German Association of Outpatient Doctors for Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine (Dagnä), the vast majority of the HIV-focused practices surveyed are affected by the supply bottlenecks. Many could only release reduced pack sizes. Some users even had to interrupt their intake or change their therapy.