Researchers are stopping a study that tests a daily pill made by Gilead Sciences Inc., with operations in Branford, to prevent infection with the AIDS virus in thousands of African women because partial results show no signs that the drug is doing any good, The Associated Press reports.
Women taking Truvada, made by Gilead, of Foster City, Calif., are just as likely to get HIV as other women who have been given dummy pills, an interim analysis of the study found. Even if the study were to continue, it would not be able to determine whether the pills help prevent infection, since the results are even this far along, researchers said.
The finding is disappointing because another study last fall concluded that Truvada did help prevent infections in gay and bisexual men when given with condoms, counseling and other prevention services. Many AIDS experts view that as a breakthrough that might help slow the epidemic.
Family Health International, a nonprofit involved in AIDS research, announced the new results on Monday. The group launched the study two years ago and had enrolled about half of the 3,900 women intended in Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa. As of last week, 56 new HIV infections had occurred, half in each group.
No safety problems were seen with Truvada. However, women taking it were more likely to become pregnant than those on dummy pills.
Truvada already is sold for treating HIV. It’s a combination of two drugs, tenofovir and emtricitabine, or FTC, made by Gilead.
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