Stroke Day...

Last year I posted about Trump's SOTU speech.  I didn't know shortly, I'd be at the hospital.  I had a hemorrhagic stroke, a bleed on the brain.  I was flown to Tulsa & was in the hospital for 2 days.  I missed Valentines & cheap chocolate day.

I'm still here, but not fully recovered. I may never be quite the same.  I had a reaction to a statin I was put on as a precaution.  I no longer take the med, but I can still feel it.   Here's hoping for no repeats.

There's a commercial for Descovy, Gilead's new PrEP med.  The drug's base is in other HIV meds.  It's very similar to Truvada, but less toxic.   The issue here is  Descovy was released as PrEP med excluding those born women.  Meaning, this was only tested on those people born male, Men & trans-women.   How could they leave out half the population?

This article talks about how Gilead found it difficult to study the med in women.  For some reason the FDA bought that argument.   Let's leave women's medical needs in the dark again.

This piece from December 2019, talks about how Gilead is finally pursuing additional data on Descovy's usage in women.  Gilead wanted Descovy to target, "a broad range of underrepresented populations."  That translates as trans women & minority men. 

Watch the commercial for Descovy.   There are only 2 white men in the spot.  The rest are of color or trans.   There are as many trans-women in the spot as white men.    Are they saying that women & white males are less important?  Are they saying  these populations are more needy for whatever reason?

Descovy's rollout was a mistake.  Leaving half the population out of a medical study like this was ridiculous & abhorrent.  Catering to any population on a matter that affects everyone is always dubious.  Is it preferential treatment or an accusation?

Take care.

Cya.

PS - Here's hoping for no hospital trips in 2020.

Descovy

The FDA has approved a new medication called Descovy.   This article goes into more details.   This  is next generation Truvada.  It's the baby of what came before, mostly the same, but allegedly better.   So, PrEP's 2nd take. 

Most of the articles have been very brief.  Making it hard to determine what they feel is so much safer about this medication than it's predecessor.    I guess we'll see.

Being this is just the next step in Truvada's evolution, how much more resilient can we safely expect it to be as a PrEP drug?   Isn't it funny this comes right on the heels of the Truvada's 1st widely known failure as a PrEP med?   Especially, since said failure has so successfully been swept under the rug by the news.  

This new med may be safer.  It may work better as an HIV med & as PrEP.  Or, it could be the best way in holding on to a patent & garnering good press for Gilead.   Not to mention bringing in another cash cow.  Yes, I'm suspicious.  No, I don't trust pharmaceutical companies.  

Better to be weary & careful then just to celebrate the mighty Gilead for it's new savior drug.  Call me cynical or jaded.  I'm fine with that.

Cya...