soulxtc
February 6th, 2006, 05:13 PM
DENVER (Reuters) - An injection of two drugs normally used to treat HIV patients completely protected monkeys from becoming infected with the AIDS virus, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.
While it is too early to tell whether people can pop a pill and escape infection, the study provides the strongest evidence yet that it might be possible, the researchers said.
Dr. Walid Heneine of the Centers for Disease and Prevention studied rhesus monkeys that were injected with a version of Truvada -- Gilead Sciences Inc.'s once-a-day pill that includes its drugs Viread, or tenofovir, and Emtriva, or emtracitibine.
The pill is often used in drug cocktails to treat HIV infection, although they cannot cure it.
The monkeys were then exposed to a combined human-monkey AIDS virus called SHIV, using a rectal method aimed at simulating male homosexual contact. That happened daily for 14 days and the monkeys also got daily injections.
READ ARTICLE (http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=healthNews&storyid=2006-02-06T232903Z_01_N06167221_RTRUKOC_0_US-AIDS-PREVENTION.xml&rpc=22)
While it is too early to tell whether people can pop a pill and escape infection, the study provides the strongest evidence yet that it might be possible, the researchers said.
Dr. Walid Heneine of the Centers for Disease and Prevention studied rhesus monkeys that were injected with a version of Truvada -- Gilead Sciences Inc.'s once-a-day pill that includes its drugs Viread, or tenofovir, and Emtriva, or emtracitibine.
The pill is often used in drug cocktails to treat HIV infection, although they cannot cure it.
The monkeys were then exposed to a combined human-monkey AIDS virus called SHIV, using a rectal method aimed at simulating male homosexual contact. That happened daily for 14 days and the monkeys also got daily injections.
READ ARTICLE (http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=healthNews&storyid=2006-02-06T232903Z_01_N06167221_RTRUKOC_0_US-AIDS-PREVENTION.xml&rpc=22)