by Michael Carter

Media adverts from 'ambulance chasing' lawyers spreading misinformation about Truvada and encouraging people to join a lawsuit against its manufacturer have resulted in young people at high risk of HIV not starting PrEP or switching to alternative methods of HIV prevention, according to research presented to the 23rd International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2020: Virtual).

The combination of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and emtricitabine in an oral tablet is marketed as Truvada. It is a longtime mainstay of antiretroviral therapy and is now widely used in HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The adverts emphasised the possible association of Truvada (specifically, TDF) with bone loss and kidney damage. These are known but generally manageable side effects of the drug and rarely seen in PrEP users. The adverts encouraged people who had taken Truvada who believed they had experienced side effects to join a lawsuit against the manufacturer Gilead Sciences, highlighting the prospects of a cash payout.

A case was first brought against Gilead for alleged TDF-related harm in May 2018, the plaintiffs alleging that the drug company delayed the development and marketing of an alternative tenofovir formulation (tenofovir alafenamide, or TAF) in order to maximise profits from Truvada before its patent expired. Read more via AIDSmap

Serrano PA et al. Deleterious effects of Truvada lawsuit advertisements on attitudes and decisions towards PrEP among sex and gender minority youth at risk of HIV. 23rd International AIDS Conference, abstract OAC0603, 2020.