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Alarming surge in drug-resistant HIV uncovered

nature.com

31–40 of 237 posts

Re: Alarming surge in drug-resistant HIV uncovered

#31
post #10

I always felt like the only way you can eliminate the spread of a highly adaptive std is to develop a low barrier on-the-spot test administered just before intercourse at the latest or some point reasonably earlier in a date or whatever. This would still fail under the dormancy period viruses assume but it should improve the odds I'd imagine for those connected in one way or another to promiscuous sexual networks.

That’s sort of what porn industry does with HIV RNA TMA test. I suspect it’s quite effective.

Re: Alarming surge in drug-resistant HIV uncovered

#32
post #5
post #2

Well, PrEP is a miracle drug that has gone criminally underutilized in the fight to eradicate HIV. It would be nice to see governments really push it hard for a change.

It’s insane that it is $1400/month out of pocket, and if you have a high deductible plan you’d still be paying $6k+ potentially before it’s covered.

I've checked and it's € 50 a month in the Netherlands for the pills. There is something else going on with that pricing. There are doctor fees on top of that, but a few checks a year will never consitute the $15k difference.

Re: Alarming surge in drug-resistant HIV uncovered

#33
post #10

I always felt like the only way you can eliminate the spread of a highly adaptive std is to develop a low barrier on-the-spot test administered just before intercourse at the latest or some point reasonably earlier in a date or whatever. This would still fail under the dormancy period viruses assume but it should improve the odds I'd imagine for those connected in one way or another to promiscuous sexual networks.

That assumes a degree of agency in your ability to refuse sex that is not necessarily the case in many high prevalence countries.

Re: Alarming surge in drug-resistant HIV uncovered

#34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

WHAT!? Here in Germany, my PrEP costs me €40 per month, and I only have to pay that because it’s one of the rare things that insurance doesn’t cover here.

In Australia its around $40 a month, so slightly less. Worth it!!! Still, too expensive for some people. Should be free.

I wonder why it's so much more expensive in the united states.

Re: Alarming surge in drug-resistant HIV uncovered

#35
post #32
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s insane that it is $1400/month out of pocket, and if you have a high deductible plan you’d still be paying $6k+ potentially before it’s covered.

I've checked and it's € 50 a month in the Netherlands for the pills. There is something else going on with that pricing. There are doctor fees on top of that, but a few checks a year will never consitute the $15k difference.

I can confirm in the US it is truly that expensive (which is fucking crazy). I have pretty good insurance (or at least the best I can get self-buying) but I still have to pay 30% of meds costs. That is something like $400 /month. Luckily Gilled will reimburse up to 7500 /year.

Fucked up private insurance in US, they charge that much and then do the reimbursement so they can bill the huge monthly cost to plans / government that will cover it.

We should be giving this out for free.

My MD said Truvada might go generic next year, so perhaps there's hope.

Re: Alarming surge in drug-resistant HIV uncovered

#36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Australia its around $40 a month, so slightly less. Worth it!!! Still, too expensive for some people. Should be free.

I wonder why it's so much more expensive in the united states.

Don't ask lol

Re: Alarming surge in drug-resistant HIV uncovered

#37
post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or some people take it and engage in risky sexual behavior because they're now on it. I know more than a few people like that. Not everyone is a backwards hick, you're just virtue signalling.

UpToDate.com: STI incidence among MSM using PrEP Men who have sex with men (MSM), particularly those who have indications for pre-exposure prophylaxis against HIV (PrEP), are at high risk for sexually transmitted infections (STI). In a study of nearly 3000 MSM in Australia who were initiating PrEP, the incidence of new chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis over the subsequent year was 92 cases per 100 person-years [2]. N…

PrEP treatment also mandates regular STI testing. I wonder if it's possible to control for the higher diagnosis rate (e.g. would have been infected anyways just now know about it). And what is a comparable rate for the same population pre-PrEP?

Re: Alarming surge in drug-resistant HIV uncovered

#38
post #22

Probably because homosexuality doesn't fit their 19th century worldview

Or some people take it and engage in risky sexual behavior because they're now on it. I know more than a few people like that. Not everyone is a backwards hick, you're just virtue signalling.

I'd agree with you honestly, I'd suggest however that it's a very small minority, who probably have other concurrent factors, like drug or alcohol abuse. This is not sufficient reason to gatekeep the drug from those who would be responsible, and frankly not even a point worthy of mention.

Re: Alarming surge in drug-resistant HIV uncovered

#39
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've checked and it's € 50 a month in the Netherlands for the pills. There is something else going on with that pricing. There are doctor fees on top of that, but a few checks a year will never consitute the $15k difference.

I can confirm in the US it is truly that expensive (which is fucking crazy). I have pretty good insurance (or at least the best I can get self-buying) but I still have to pay 30% of meds costs. That is something like $400 /month. Luckily Gilled will reimburse up to 7500 /year. Fucked up private insurance in US, they charge that much and then do the reimbursement so they can bill the huge monthly cost to plans / gover…

In the US, we’re paying obscene prices because no other country pays their fair share to recoup the cost of development plus bringing the drug to market plus a reasonable margin for the effort.

The US should establish an agreement whereby US patients pay a LOT less but that the foreign patients need to pay the same.

The amount the industry earns should be low enough to make it reasonably financially accessible to patients but high enough to prompt our best and our brightest to pursue new drug development as a career.

Re: Alarming surge in drug-resistant HIV uncovered

#40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can confirm in the US it is truly that expensive (which is fucking crazy). I have pretty good insurance (or at least the best I can get self-buying) but I still have to pay 30% of meds costs. That is something like $400 /month. Luckily Gilled will reimburse up to 7500 /year. Fucked up private insurance in US, they charge that much and then do the reimbursement so they can bill the huge monthly cost to plans / gover…

In the US, we’re paying obscene prices because no other country pays their fair share to recoup the cost of development plus bringing the drug to market plus a reasonable margin for the effort. The US should establish an agreement whereby US patients pay a LOT less but that the foreign patients need to pay the same. The amount the industry earns should be low enough to make it reasonably financially accessible to pat…

Pricing is always and inevitably what the market can bear, not anything about “fairness”. If prices are too high or communities are too poor (communities not countries), those communities go without. Right now, the US is so expensive that in cases like this it makes sense for patients to fly to another country to get the medicine. That’s unsustainable.
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