New Generic HIV Drug Will Affect Payer Coverage of PrEP
A generic version of Truvada coming on the market later this year will affect how payers cover pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), experts tell AIS Health. PrEP is a daily medication used by people at risk of HIV to prevent infection. However, while the generic version will have an impact on PrEP coverage, experts say it will not significantly change how payers cover HIV drugs.
Gilead Sciences, Inc.’s Truvada (emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) was approved by the FDA in 2004 to treat HIV infection in combination with other antiretroviral drugs. In 2012, it also was approved as the first drug for PrEP. Several generic versions of Truvada have been approved by the FDA but are not yet on the market. In March 2019, Gilead announced in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that it had entered into an agreement with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. to allow the company to launch its generic version on Sept. 30, 2020.