A daily pill has successfully protected British men having unsafe sex from getting HIV, in a groundbreaking trial that has prompted calls for it to become widely available on the NHS.
The pilot study was forced to offer a control group the drug earlier than expected after it became clear that treatment was “highly protective” and ought not be held back from men who could benefit.
The news was hailed as “potentially the most exciting development in HIV prevention in some years”, holding out the possibility that tens of thousands of gay men and others at risk could be protected from the virus.
The NHS will now look at who should get the drug, which costs about £5,000 a year. Researchers downplayed fears that it