PrEP could help cut HIV cases by up to a quarter and cut costs

Up to one in four cases of HIV in men who have sex with other men could be prevented by providing them with pre-emptive medication, a move that would also result in cost savings, research shows

Up to one in four cases of HIV in men who have sex with other men could be prevented by providing them with pre-emptive medication, research shows.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication could result in 44,300 fewer HIV infections over 80 years (134,600 compared with 178,900 with no PrEP), modelling by the study suggests.

PrEP is a combination of two anti-HIV drugs, emtricitabine and tenofovir, that are taken daily or around the time of sexual activity to reduce the risk of HIV infection.

The study, published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, estimates that PrEP could result in savings of up to £1 billion over