VAC welcomes the TGA approval of PrEP

The Victorian AIDS Council (VAC) has welcomed the news today that the Therapeutic Goods
Administration (TGA) has approved the drug Truvada for use as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV) in
Australia.
TGA approval means doctors in Australia no longer have to prescribe Truvada as PrEP “off-label”, that is,
for something other than its previously-approved use as a medication to treat HIV. More importantly, TGA
approval is a necessary step towards the eventual listing of PrEP on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
(PBS).
VAC CEO Simon Ruth said the news brings Australia one step closer to affordable, accessible PrEP.
“TGA approval is a huge step forward, but there is still a lot of work to do. Over the coming months we will
be continuing our work with other community organisations and advocates to ensure PrEP is listed on the
PBS, providing subsidised access for those who need it,” he said.
“This has been a long road, but it’s brought out the best in our community. The passion and dedication
groups like PrEP’d for Change and PrEPaccessNOW have shown in shaping this conversation has played a
huge role in getting us to where we are now.”
VAC President Chad Hughes said gay communities in Australia have come a long way since VAC first started
talking about PrEP.
“It’s almost two years to the day that we held our first community forum on PrEP, at a time when PrEP had
become a divisive topic within gay communities in the US,” Hughes said.
“Since then we have seen gay men here in Australia engage in reasonable, informed discussion, always
with a willingness to learn. The conversation continues, but we now have a community who understands
the vital role PrEP can play in HIV prevention.
PrEP is a highly effective HIV-prevention method, where HIV-negative people take HIV medication to
significantly reduce their risk of contracting HIV.