San Francisco Startup to Deliver HIV Prevention Medication, Birth Control

Nurx, a health technology startup based in San Francisco, has begun making PrEP available to Californians through their web-based app. PrEP (short for Pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a new HIV prevention method in which people who do not have HIV take a daily pill (Truvada) to reduce chances of infection.

Today, about 1.2 million Americans are HIV-positive. According to the latest CDC data, 43,899 people in the United states were newly diagnosed in 2014. The leading cause was male-to-male sexual contact, with 29,418 diagnoses, followed by heterosexual contact (10,527), injection drug use (2,635), and MSM & IDU (1,217).

In 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Truvada to be used to reduce the risk of HIV transmission among individuals who do not have the virus and who are at high risk of being infected. If taken daily, PrEP can reduce the risk of getting HIV from sex by more than 90% and more than 70% among people who inject drugs.

This past September, after the culmination of two-and-a-half-year study involving 657 patients who took Truvada for PrEP, researchers announced that there were no new HIV infections.

"Each year, more than 40,000 Americans are infected with HIV, however studies show that if taken daily, Truvada for PrEP can significantly reduce the chances of transmission of the virus. Our app makes Truvada more accessible for people who need this revolutionary drug," said Edvard Engesaeth a medical doctor and cofounder of Nurx.

A recent report in the Oxford Journal found PrEP to be as safe as taking Aspirin, however, access to this revolutionary drug is a problem for many at-risk users today. According to the CDC, 1.2 million people should be on Truvada, yet only 21,000 actually take the drug. Lack of awareness about the drug is one reason why. Federal health officials estimate that about one third of primary care doctors and nurses are actually unaware of Truvada.

Accessibility is another reason for the low number of PrEP users.

"In addition to the stigma and lack of information about PrEP, there is also a shortage of doctors who will prescribe it. We hope to make PrEP more accessible to those that need and want it. By making PrEP more accessible to high-risk users, the Nurx app has the potential to be a game-changer in the fight to end the epidemic," said Hans Gangeskar, CEO and co-founder of Nurx.

How the App Works:
1. The patient creates an account and fills out their health profile.

2. After completing the health profile, the user answers questions to determine whether they are a candidate for PrEP, and submits their request.

3. The information is then reviewed by a Nurx partner physician who will determine the eligibility of the patient for Truvada for PrEP.

4. Eligible users must then complete lab tests for HIV status and renal function prior to the prescription being issued. Also recommended will be lab tests for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, pregnancy (for female users), chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis.

5. The physician will then assess the lab results and determine whether Truvada for PrEP can be prescribed, and if so, will be dispatched to the user's address.

Truvada for PrEP is the second medication to be made available through the Nurx app. Nurx initially released their app in December 2015, to streamline the antiquated process many women face when getting their birth control.

According to MTV News, Nurx is "The gift we've all been waiting for," and Bustle says, "This will be your favorite app in 2016." TeenVogue says, "Nurx is essentially like Seamless or 1-800-CONTACTS for your reproductive organs."