Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD): Three Key Advances in HIV Prevention

Revolutionary diagnostic test
While both medications have the potential to reduce infections in the future, easy access to fast and accurate diagnostic tests is another tool in the fight against HIV. It’s estimated that 20% of HIV-positive individuals don’t actually know their status, and a product manufactured by OraSure Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:OSUR) aims at lowering the barrier for testing. Its over-the-counter OraQuick In-Home HIV test won FDA approval last summer and is the first needle-free diagnostic kit that can be done in complete privacy. Consumer adoption for the product has been slow, and while that has weighed on OraSure Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:OSUR)’s shares significantly, the test still provides a revolutionary way for any individual to quickly determine his or her status. Whether this test will directly curtail rates of HIV infections can’t be determined just yet, but easy access to rapid diagnostic kits is a major step forward.

The future
There was promising news earlier this year after researchers announced that a newborn child was cured of HIV following a specific treatment protocol. While this story does inspire hope, it is the only clinical case of its kind, and a widespread cure has been unattainable to date. The most effective way to lower transmission rates in the near term continues to be pioneering new approaches for prevention.

The article 3 Key Advances in HIV Prevention originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Max Macaluso, Ph.D..

Max Macaluso, Ph.D., owns shares of Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD). The Motley Fool recommends Gilead Sciences and GlaxoSmithKline.

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