Liz Highleyman

Compared with the general population, people with compromised immunity are at higher risk of contracting the new coronavirus and developing more serious COVID-19 illness. The HIV population is aging, and nearly half are over 50. Those with low CD4 T-cell counts, indicating advanced immune suppression, are at greatest risk. People with HIV are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and may do so at a younger age. Certain HIV medications, especially older drugs, can cause neutropenia, or depletion of immune system white blood cells that fight infection. “When you look at who’s been most profoundly ill, it tends to be […]

As pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) gains acceptance, medical experts and policymakers are finding new ways to make this effective HIV prevention tool accessible to more people who could benefit. Last month the California Senate passed a bill that will allow pharmacists to provide PrEP and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) without a prescription. And in June, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended that health care providers offer PrEP to people at risk of acquiring HIV, paving the way for broader insurance coverage. PrEP at the Pharmacy SB 159, co-authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Assemblymember Todd Gloria (D-San Diego), […]

As use of PrEP continues to grow, epidemiological evidence is starting to show a link between increased use and declines in new HIV infections. A study presented at the International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam shows an association between higher PrEP use and lower HIV incidence in the U.S. These figures highlight ongoing disparities in PrEP use, with some of the groups who need effective HIV prevention being the least likely to use it. The Food and Drug Administration approved Truvada (tenofovir/emtricitabine) for HIV prevention in July 2012. For the past several years Gilead Sciences has been reporting PrEP use estimates from an […]