The DISCOVER Study: Options for PrEP

Segment Description: Brad Hare, MD, chief of infectious diseases, Kaiser-Permanente, San Francisco, explains how the findings of the DISCOVER study indicate that PrEP is no longer a one-size-fits-all situation.

Interview transcript: (modified slightly for readability)

Contagion®: Would you discuss why this study was needed and explain the methods?

Dr. Hare: This study was important because HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis is really going to be key to us ending the HIV epidemic. Having more options for patients, allowing clinicians the opportunity to discuss these options, and choose drugs or methods of prevention that are most appropriate for the patient in front of them is really critical.

So, for this study we designed a more than 5000 patient study it was a 1:1 randomization with an active control and it was a non-inferiority study design, meaning what we were really trying to ask is: is Descovy non-inferior to Truvada, the only drug that's currently approved for PrEP?

We were able to, in fact, determine that it was non-inferior.

Contagion®: What is your take-home message on PrEP to individuals at a higher risk for HIV and their clinicians?

Dr. Hare: I think the main take-home message for PrEP is that it works. So, both of these drugs actually performed very well in this study and offered extremely high degrees of protection against HIV infection in high-risk populations. I think that really is the main message that I take home.

It's also important to know that we now have options for PrEP, so it's not a one-size-fits-all situation anymore. We do have medications now that we can choose from and tailor the individual treatment that we're using to the patient that's in front of us based on their individual profile, their risks, their concerns.