14 DAY TRIAL // For some time, scientists believed that the best method against AIDS is a vaccine, but, so far, all attempts to create one have failed. It seems that they have found something that was already on the pharmacies' shelves.
Their hopes rely on a combination of two drugs which has shown promising results on monkeys, officials expanding tests on humans worldwide. 6 macaques received the drugs and then were infected with the virus.
After 14 weeks, none of the monkeys became infected. "Seeing complete protection is very promising and something never before achieved in HIV prevention experiments," said Walid Heneine, a scientist working on the study.
"This is the first thing I've seen at this point that I think really could have a prevention impact. If it works, it could be distributed quickly and could blunt the epidemic," said Thomas Folks, a scientist investigating the disease since it first appeared. 5 million people every year get infected, despite the condoms and counseling.
The two drugs are Viread and Emtriva, sold in combination as Truvada by Gilead Sciences Inc., a Californian company also known for coming up with Tamiflu. The drugs simply keep the AIDS virus from reproducing, as opposed to the vaccines, which work through the immune system destroyed by HIV.
Taking Truvada daily or weekly before being exposed to the virus can prevent the virus from taking over, just as malaria drugs taken in advanced fight off the disease when a person is bitten by an infected mosquito.