17 July 2012 - Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD), an American biotechnology company that discovers, develops and commercialises therapeutics, announced today that it has received final approval to market its drug, Truvada, in the US, for the prevention of HIV.

Truvada (emtrictabine and tenofovir) becomes the first licensed drug for protection against infection from HIV, and is claimed to reduce the risk of infection from the disease in uninfected individuals that have sexual relations with infected partners.

Despite doubts being expressed from some quarters over the drug's likelihood of actually increasing the number of HIV infections when compared to the use of a condom, and the linking of one of the drug's constituents, tenofovir, with the risk of kidney disease and damage, Margaret Hamburg, FDA commissioner commented, 'Today's approval marks an important milestone in our fight against HIV.'