AIFA has decided to postpone the go-ahead for free PrEP, the very effective pre-exposure prophylaxis that prevents HIV, right in the last authorization step. This plunges Italy among the most backward and obscurantist Western countries in terms of HIV prevention and one of the few advanced welfare countries that does not provide for the free supply of similar drugs.
The suspension was decided last Thursday 23 March by the CPR, the AIFA Price and Reimbursement Committee, whose task was exclusively to define the purchase price of the drug by our Health Service, to then be negotiated with the companies producers. The CTS, i.e. the Technical-Scientific Commission of AIFA, which certifies safety, indications for use and reimbursement of medicines, had in fact already given its green light.
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. When taken correctly, prophylaxis offers close to 100% protection against infection. In Italy it can be prescribed by infectious disease specialists, but the costs (about 60 euros per pack) are all borne by the citizens. The non-gratuity of PrEP constitutes an insurmountable barrier for younger people and for those groups of the population most exposed to the virus because they are socially (and therefore economically) more vulnerable.
Because of this Lila Onlus has started a collection of signatures with which it asks that the decision be reviewed.
Read the full article on Gayburg