For those currently on PrEP, the days of having to take a pill every day could be numbered.
Massachusetts-based pharmaceutical company Intarcia Therapeutics is moving forward with plans to market a subcutaneous device that would deliver a daily dose of the anti-retroviral medicine.
Related: Bill Gates Continues Mission To Save World, You
They’ve just secured $206 million in funding to better research the mini-osmotic pump; a tiny implant that is inserted beneath the skin in order to treat chronic illnesses like HIV and Type II diabetes.
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According to an announcement, $140 million of that money is being funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which was set up by the entrepreneur and his wife to help eliminate preventable diseases in some of the most impoverished parts of the world.
This could be an important development, especially for people who want to take PrEP but aren’t sure they’re up to the task of remembering to take it daily.
Related: Bill and Melinda Gates Donate $500,000 For Marriage Equality in Washington
Intarcia wants to introduce the device to patients with Type II Diabetes this year. The backing from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will help them further develop the system so it can administer PrEP.
Here’s a statement from Kurt Graves, Chairman, President and CEO of Intarcia Therapeutics, Inc.:
Over the last five years we have successfully brought to life the vision and promise of our disruptive Medici technology platform, and an expanding pipeline of novel therapeutics.
With Medici, and each of our new once- or twice-yearly therapies, we’re aiming to solve some of the biggest unmet needs in the treatment and prevention of major chronic diseases that impact millions and millions of lives every day.
With our new strategic initiative in HIV prevention, we are also tremendously excited and humbled to work with an incredible organization as smart, forward-looking and purpose-based as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Sue Desmond-Hellmann, the CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, remarked:
There’s a vital need for an HIV/AIDS intervention that allows those at risk to incorporate prevention more easily into their daily lives.
We feel optimistic about our partnership with Intarcia and the prospect of an implantable prophylactic device that could make a world of difference for people most in need.
While it’s uncertain exactly when the PrEP pump might be coming to market, The Wall Street Journal suggests it would first be available in America.
Danny279
A monogamous, loving couple comes to the rescue of a group of people who refuse to stop having anal intercourse with HIV infected partners. It’s funny how that never works the other way around. You never hear about the promiscuous people making contributions to help deal with the diseases and health consequences of loving, committed relationships.
In any event, that Gates money should be going to deal with the many real health crises in the developing world, not the manufactured problems which inevitably arise from a life of promiscuity. I wonder how those affluent, educated, Western promiscuous men, many of whom think of themselves as progressive, feel about appropriating resources that should be going to the developing world.
ChrisK
@Danny279: How do you know that their Monogamous Btw? What difference should it make if someone’s promiscuous or not. This isn’t about your fucked morals asshole. Damn you’re pathetic.
If you’d learn to read you’d know that this is for places like Africa as well…
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which was set up by the entrepreneur and his wife to help eliminate preventable diseases in some of the most impoverished parts of the world.
Brian
I suppose Bill and Melinda Gates have money to burn, don’t they?
MarionPaige
someone should re-visit the AIDs Epidemic from a medical industry marketing perspective, show how the reaction (or slow reaction) to the epidemic had an effect on the business of AIDs.
I always remember reading someone pointing out that, to the medical industry, AIDs was like Diabeties, an incurable illness that required long term care.
Not to take anything away from The Gates Foundation, but,
someone pointed out that The Foundation makes money a lot of times by investing in the drug companies that make the treatments The Foundation provides in his humanitarian efforts.
BigG
If you can handle prep go for it. Highly toxic. Made me very ill after 6 weeks on it.
Brian
Drug companies are scum. They make money off the misery of others.
PrEP is the latest scum product for the useful idiots of the gay male community.
Heywood Jablowme
@Danny279: “monogamous, loving” blah blah blah, “It’s funny how that never works the other way around.”
Hey, I’m doing my part. Last week I fucked your boyfriend.
Bromancer7
@Danny279: I hear their next project is a cure for douchebaggery. Perhaps you should sign up for the clinical trial?
Heywood Jablowme
It’s important to mention (for those are not as afflicted by douchebaggery as Danny279 is) that one important, intended use for PrEP is by loving sero-discordant couples.
So not only is Danny279 wrong about the facts, he is hypocritically AGAINST monogamy if it’s done by certain people he doesn’t approve of!
Danny279
@Heywood Jablowme: “that one important, intended use for PrEP is by loving sero-discordant couples.”
I notice you don’t say “committed” or “monogamous,” just “loving.” So thanks for agreeing w/me that this is investment is an effort to limit the harm of non-monogamy. lol!
Anyway, it’s great to have a hate section of 2 or 3 washed up promiscuous middle aged dudes, who can’t cope with anyone pointing out that they are selfish losers who have brought harm to themselves and others.
fur_hunter
@Danny279: …Excuse me. Most of the people with the AIDS virus are straight people. You would know that if you did the research. It always annoys me when there are those out there that talk on a subject and have no idea of the true facts. They just spout what they have heard other uneducated and uninformed have told them. Danny….when you do the research and find out the facts, come back to the table and speak. Until then, keep your stupid mouth shut. Because right now, your profound ignorance is showing.
fur_hunter
@Heywood Jablowme: ….Thank you for your post. Danny has no clue as to the actual facts regarding AIDS. He doesn’t know that most of those with it are straight.
fur_hunter
@Bromancer7: ….Have to tell you. Your post made me laugh and roll on the floor. Thanks you.
Heywood Jablowme
@Danny279: Sure they can be “committed” and/or “monogamous” also. The point of PrEP in that case is still the same: so the HIV-negative partner would not get HIV even if they did bareback anal sex. But you’re such a sad!st you want them to get HIV in that case.
As I’ve told you before, I don’t understand the condom-hatred nowadays. Personally I’ve always used condoms & been fine with them. But a lot of people don’t like them. As always you ignore the FACT that guys in your age group are the sluttiest, sleaziest guys out there, ordering sex on Grindr like so many pizzas! And for whatever reasons, your generation has mostly decided they hate condoms. I didn’t cause that problem, I don’t like it either, but trying to run other people’s sex lives is exhausting.
As you’ve been told before, some guys get HIV from what they THINK are monogamous relationships, but aren’t in reality, or what are indeed monogamous relationships but one partner hadn’t got tested before they got into it. Monogamy is not the key here. Avoiding unprotected anal sex is the key, as even you realize in your occasional rational moments.
fur_hunter
@Brian: …Well….Brian. I am so glad you are so upstanding and righteous. I’m sure you have never made a mistake in your life or done anything that others would consider wrong. You obviously have no clue regarding the subject of homosexuality and what it is all about. Why don’t you do the research and find out the facts before coming to the forum again. Don’t just spout what other ignorant and intolerant people have told you.
fur_hunter
@ChrisK: ….Chris….Thank you very much for your post. Danny does not know that most of the people with AIDS are straight people. He should do the research and find out the facts about a subject before he addresses it. I agree.
fur_hunter
I applaud the Gates for such an amazing donation. Such a huge donation is incredible and toward such a worthy cause.
Heywood Jablowme
@fur_hunter: Thanks. I hope it’s a sign of progress that he refers here to “anal” sex, momentarily, before going into his monogamy ramblings. Danny279 has been told many, many times what the facts are, but he never acknowledges the facts. Certainly not when they are explained in the Queerty article itself. He has this crazy idea that Queerty (for one) is engaged in some evil gay-media conspiracy to “push” promiscuity.
1EqualityUSA
Hey Mr. and Mrs. Gates, do you have a personality pump for Brian?
Danny279
@fur_hunter: I said nothing about the incidence or prevalence of HIV among homosexuals or heterosexuals. I spoke about how a monogamous couple (the Gates’) are shelling out a fortune to help deal with the catastrophe caused by non-monogamous people. Monogamy does not cause such global catastrophes. Non-monogamy does, and that applies to all non-monogamous people, including heterosexual men in sub-Saharan Africa and India, and homosexual men throughout the West. That having been said, since this is an American gay website and nearly everyone here is gay or bi and from the West, the latter is of greater interest than the former.
Desert Eagle
So what’s so hard abourlt taking a pill everyday?
John
@Desert Eagle: What? take a pill every day? You expect a gay person (or anyone for that matter) to take some responsibility for their own health or life? (this is sarcasm, but not far from the truth)
John
I question PrEP and no one can really answer the question (including big pharma, when I posed the questions to them) Yes, you did “studies” to make sure it is “safe” so/but can you tell me: Why then do you not only test for HIV before prescribing it but also liver and kidney function? What does this preventative do to ones liver or kidneys? What is the long term effect of taking this medicine? Say 5 rs-10 yrs – 20 yrs? Do you know? Will your body build up an immunity to PrEP like certain antibiotics and then your body giving you a false sense of security while not really protected?
So many of thise I hear/see using it also are BB monkeys swinging from the chandeliers. Use some common sense also boys.