Thank you very much for pointing out the error regarding how long Isentress has been FDA-approved for first-line therapy. The article has been corrected.

We contacted the AHF to ask why prior authorization requirements would be beneficial given that they would create barriers to patients receiving the AIDS medications that they need.

Lori Yeghiayan, Associate Director of Communications at AHF responded explaining how prior authorization requirements would not prevent patients who need Isentress from receiving it. She did not explain what the benefits would be.

Yeghiayan said, “In terms of Prior Authorization – it takes a few more steps by the doctor to prescribe a drug that’s on Prior Authorization, but it is still absolutely available to those who need it. So, putting Isentress on Prior Authorization might make it a bit more cumbersome for the doctor to prescribe it – but would not prevent a patient who really needs it from getting the drug.”

Isentress has not been FDA-approved for two years. Isentress has had a treatment-naive indication for less than one year. Here’s a exerpt from HIVandHepatitis.com — a web resource that actually fact checks before they publish:

“On July 8, 2009 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved use of the integrase inhibitor raltegravir (Isentress) as therapy for treatment-naive HIV Patients.”

Furthermore, as an HIV treatment advocate of 12 years, I find it repulsive that any organization claiming to help people living with HIV and AIDS would pro-actively advocate CREATING prior authorization restrictions to accessing ANY antiretroviral drug.

The treatment advocacy community (the REAL ONE, that is) has advocated for years to ELIMINATE prior authorization for HIV drugs and to promote open access to treatment.

AIDS Healthcare Foundations advocacy for prior authorizations stupidly and selfishly glosses over an enormous problem that HIV treaters face today — that is, HIV drug resistance. Google it.

What could POSSIBLY BE the motivation of AIDS Healthcare Foundation to CREATE barriers to assessing HIV care and treatment, rather than working to ELIMINATE barriers?

Think about it. And while you are thinking, consider that AIDS Healthcare Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation…

They are NOT a non-profit organization. Big difference.