HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis: Efficacy and Safety of Approved Therapeutic Regimens and Promising Drugs

Background: Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) has emerged as a strategy for the prevention of HIV infection by antiretroviral drug use in seronegative individuals with continuous exposure to the virus. PrEP was approved in 2012 in the United States of America, by combining tenofovir disoproxil fumarate with emtricitabine (TDF/FTC). PrEP is based on TDF 300mg/FTC 200mg daily oral use, proposed to prevent infection in HIV-seronegative individuals with high risk of acquiring HIV. Methods: A review was performed of major clinical trials and observational studies evaluating the efficacy of this approved treatment and others underway that propose new treatments and different routes of administration with the aim of improving the effectiveness of prophylaxis. In addition, protocols approved in some countries and those that are still under evaluation to be applied are presented. Results and Conclusion: PrEP with TDF/FTC is effective and safe. However, the efficacy of other regimens is still being evaluated in clinical trials, preventing its recommendation.