AIDS, health groups submit comments to FDA prior to agency's review of PrEP

"In public comments [.pdf] submitted this week, a group of 14 leading HIV/AIDS and health organizations stated their support for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate [TDF/FTC] ... as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV infection in adult men and women," a press release from AVAC: Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention states. "Modeling studies have shown that widespread access to PrEP could reduce new HIV infections, and thus the scale of the global HIV epidemic, substantially around the world," the press release says, adding, "The FDA's decision on TDF/FTC as PrEP could help pave the way for global health funders and developing countries to step up their planning for implementation" (5/1).