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Court of Appeal rules that the NHS can legally fund HIV-prevention drug PrEP

pharmafile | November 10, 2016 | News story | Business Services, Manufacturing and Production, Medical Communications, Research and Development, Sales and Marketing Court of Appeals, Gilead, NHS England, Truvada, high court 

A High Court ruling that NHS England was legally responsible for preventing the spread of HIV has been upheld when taken to the Court of Appeal. The ruling pertains to a measure, known as PrEP, short for pre-exposure prophylaxis, that operates as a preventions strategy in those individuals who are at high risk of infection.

The individuals who are deemed at high risk can be provided with anti-retroviral drug Truvada, sold by Gilead, that acts to reduce the risk of HIV infection by more than 90%.

NHS England took the case to the Court of Appeal upon the reasoning that local authorities have the legal responsibility to ‘prevent’ incidence of HIV infection and its own responsibility is limited to treating those who have already been infected. This defence was rejected by the Court of Appeal.

The provision of Truvada free of charge to those at risk has been estimated to have a potential cost of £10 million to £20 million per year. The cost must be offset against the potential to prevent thousands of people from contracting HIV whilst reducing the threat of the HIV epidemic overall.

Deborah Gold, chief executive of the National Aids Trust, said: “We are delighted to have been vindicated by the Court a second time. HIV is a critical issue in the UK where over 4,000 people acquire HIV every year. PrEP works, it saves money, and most importantly it has the power to prevent HIV acquisition for thousands of people, at the same time as beginning to end the HIV epidemic. This judgement brings that possibility one step closer.

 Ben Hargreaves

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