Use of Gilead Sciences, Inc. Stribild HIV Pill May be Limited in U.S.

The first preventive pill for HIV has been hailed as a landmark in the fight against AIDS in the United States, but experts say only a small percentage of those at risk will benefit from it. U.S. health regulators last month approved Gilead Sciences Inc's Truvada -- already used globally to treat the human immunodeficiency virus -- for preventing the infection in healthy people at high risk of contracting the virus that causes AIDS. A number of factors will limit the drug's use for preventing HIV, including the fact that in the United States many people most at risk of infection, as well as their sexual partners, do not have consistent access to healthcare. Even for those with coverage, insurance reimbursement for a $14,000-a-year drug is expected to be tricky.

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