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Truvada, also known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), is a anti-retroviral medication that prevents the contraction of HIV through one pill a day. Evidence shows when taken consistently it is 96-98% effective at preventing HIV infection.

Gilead Australia’s application to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) to have Truvada included on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) was rejected last week. A listing on the PBS would have made it more widely available and cheaper.

HIV advocates believe the application was rejected because Gilead asked the government to subsidise the full retail price of the drug and to restrict access only to people with a higher risk of contracting HIV.

“[Gilead’s] attempt to limit PBS subsidy of Truvada to a smaller, high-risk subset of the whole ‘at risk’ population was not feasible and would not be acceptable to prescribers or consumers,” a spokesperson from the Department of Health said.

But the Victorian government doesn't accept the decision.

It has written to the PBAC and federal health minister Sussan Ley requesting a review in six months time, and asking the federal government to intervene and create a short-term solution for easier access to the drug.

“A decision to not list Truvada on the PBS is extremely disappointing," Victorian health minister Jill Hennessy told BuzzFeed News.

"The federal Liberal government needs to stop delaying and make this drug more affordable and accessible for people at risk of HIV.”

A spokesperson for minister Ley told BuzzFeed News the PBAC is completely independent, and the minister would not be stepping in to interfere with its decision. The spokesperson said the government only invested in drugs that were recommended by the PBAC and pointed to the billions of dollars invested in hepatitis C treatment as an example.