Aids treatment proves ineffective in Africa
2013-03-04 22:16
Johannesburg - Trying to prevent HIV
infection through vaginal gels or daily tablets has proven
ineffective in the southern African region ravaged by the
disease because people failed to use the medicines as required,
a study released on Monday said.
A ground breaking study issued in 2010 indicated a vaginal
gel containing a prescription drug can sharply reduce HIV
infections in women who use it before and after sex, raising the
possibility to slow the spread of the disease by giving women a
way to protect themselves.
However, a test of the gel and two types of related pills
among more than 5 000 women in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Uganda
showed that, based on blood tests, more than 70% did not
use their medication as instructed.
"We are obviously disappointed in the results. We were very
hopeful that these products, which we know have been effective
in other studies and clearly have a lot of promise, would work,"
Jeanne Marrazzo, a researcher on the project for the University
of Washington, told reporters in a teleconference.
"Women did not use consistently any of the products.
Adherence was very low," said Marrazzo, part of the project
known as the Vaginal and Oral Interventions to Control the
Epidemic (Voice).
East and southern Africa are the areas most heavily affected
by the HIV epidemic. Out of the total number of people worldwide
in 2009 living with HIV, 34% were in 10 countries of
southern Africa, according to the UN programme on HIV/Aids.
Experts have been searching for years for inexpensive, safe
and simple medications to decrease the risk of transmission
among a population that is largely destitute and with little
access to quality health care.
The study also found the group most likely to contract HIV -
unmarried women under 25 - was also the most likely not to use
any of the medicines.
Findings were presented to the Conference
on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Atlanta.
The three-year study that started in September 2009 tested a
daily tablet called Truvada, which was approved in July 20102 by
the US food and drug Administration for HIV prevention and
associated with a 42% reduction in HIV infection risk.
Other drugs tested were a product called tenofovir gel,
which a study said reduced HIV infections in women by 39%
over two and a half years. An oral tenofovir tablet was also
tested.
Researchers have been trying for years to formulate a
microbicide - a gel, cream, ring or tablet inserted into the
vagina or rectum before sex to prevent transmission of the human
immunodeficiency virus that causes Aids.
"We need to rethink the design of these intervention trials
that are being done in healthy people because it is difficult
for anybody to take a pill or anything every day, particularly
when you are healthy and do not feel that you need a drug," said
Marrazzo.
Truvada is made by Gilead Sciences, which also
developed tenofovir.
In 2006, Gilead assigned a royalty-free
licence for tenofovir gel to Conrad.
- Reuters
