Day 67: Is it time to coformulate Viread with Viagra?

Ok, so I am sure the title of this entry will be the standard joke among HIV docs for a bit. Actually, it has probably been made far too many times already. The joke is based on recent data indicating that Viread (FTC/TDF) was shown to decrease the rate of vaginal infection among humanized mice. The mice essentially have human immune systems, which is why the can acquire HIV. Mice that received pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with Viread did not get infected when exposed vaginally, while 88% of the mice that did not receive PrEP acquired infection. The mice that received PrEP were given Viread 48 hrs and 24 hrs prior to HIV exposure and every 24 hrs for 5 days after exposure. The study was published by Denton and colleagues in PLoS Medicine this month. 

So, these data are kind of exciting. It’s humanized mice, so you can’t get too excited yet. I would assume a monkey study would be next and then a large-scale human trial. You have to take animal studies as they are—they don’t always translate to the same results in humans. But the data could be a boon for high-risk populations, especially women. One of issues with condoms is that it requires the cooperation of your partner. If there is an alternate method to block infection—one that does not require the partner’s cooperation—hopefully the transmission rate might be reduced. This could also be really helpful for serodiscordant couples who want to conceive. Granted, sperm-washing techniques (the process of eliminating virions from semen) are very successful, but this might be considerably less expensive and a lot easier. Viread PrEP could also be helpful for intravenous drug users, but it has yet to be established (as far as I know) if this method would protect against HIV acquired via needles.

Of course, there are also concerns. While I don’t think anyone would advocate using Viread PrEP instead of condoms (especially at this point), we have to establish whether Viread PrEP is as efficient in preventing infection as condom use. If PrEP with Viread is not as efficient as condom use for blocking infection, then you have to question the common utility of Viread PrEP. Additionally, condom use is one time and Viread PrEP might require a weeks worth of adherence, which might be difficult for some. Finally, Viread is not without side effects, although I doubt this would be a major concern considering Viread’s toxicity profile and the fact that the dosing would be intermittent instead of chronic. And cost is always an issue, especially in underdeveloped nations where HIV transmission is rampant. 

All in all, the study is good news. We desperately need more ways to prevent infection. A pill is a good start as it would help circumvent some of the social and political problems faced with condoms. We still need a barrier microbicide, but the data for PReP are encouraging. So, assuming this does work, does Viread go over the counter?

M. Linde