DESCOVY for PrEP®
The latest medication prescribed to prevent HIV with:
- Reduced side effects
- The same efficacy rate as generic Truvada (99%)
- 85% of private insurance patients qualifying for free Descovy
Descovy for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a daily pill prescribed to adults and adolescents at risk of contracting HIV. If taken correctly, Descovy lessens the chance of transmitting HIV during sex by more than 99%.
Descovy as PrEP can be beneficial for those who are at an elevated risk for HIV due to:
Descovy as PrEP is not for:
Descovy is similar to generic Truvada. It was created to help patients avoid the adverse effects generic Truvada may have on kidney function and bone health. This was accomplished through the production of a new formulation of tenofovir called TAF (tenofovir alafenamide).
Despite the clear advantage Descovy has in regards to maintaining bone health, it has the same efficacy rate in preventing the transmission of HIV through sex (99%). As a result, besides differences in bone and kidney reaction, the contrast between Descovy and generic Truvada is small.
Accessibility is the largest distinction between Descovy & generic Truvada for PrEP. Your individual insurance plan, health history, and location within Canada can impact your fit for Descovy or generic Truvada.
Due to differences in individual patient needs, it’s important to refer to a healthcare professional to find out which option for PrEP is best suited for you.
Descovy is an expensive drug in Canada. Without private insurance, Descovy for PrEP will cost up to $900/month.
We believe cost should never be a barrier to access PrEP. That's why regardless of your insurance status, we will have a PrEP option for you.
If you have private insurance: Freddie helps more than 4/5th of all patients get Descovy for free.
Our Care Coordinators and pharmacists will help you access financial assistance programs so that all co-pays are waived.
If you do not have private insurance: Unfortunately, Descovy is cost prohibitive (at around $900/month) without private insurance.
We recommend everyone without private insurance to go on generic Truvada. Fortunately, generic Truvada is also 99% effective against HIV and is free for 90% of Freddie patients, regardless of their insurance status.
We will continue to use our Canada-wide scale to get drug manufacturers to invest in generous financial aid programs to continually drive down the cost of PrEP for our patients.
If your Freddie clinician determines you clinically require Descovy to be able to use PrEP, we will help you get it for free.
"The feedback, and the rating, are both warranted. Freddie is the model of future healthcare. Healthcare should affordable, accessible and empathic; and they achieve exactly that"Get Started
-Ian, Freddie Patient
Daily use of Descovy is 99% effective at reducing your risk of acquiring HIV. Descovy is equally effective to Truvada and generic Truvada.
The following major insurers cover Descovy in Canada: Manulife, Sun Life, Canada Life, Desjardins, SSQ, IA, Groupsource. Alberta Blue Cross also covers Descovy, but a special authorization is required (which Freddie can help with).
If you have private insurance, it is certainly worth considering. Generic Truvada can cause kidney issues and/or bone density issues in a small percentage of people, especially those who use PrEP for >2 years. Descovy is significantly lower risk for kidney and bone issues. Your Freddie clinician can help you make the right choice.
Descovy has fewer side effects compared to generic Truvada. Potential side effects include:
Only 1% of people on Descovy for PrEP stopped taking it because of side effects, compared to 2% of people taking generic Truvada. The small percentage of people who reported symptoms during this study were either equal to or lower than the amount reported by generic Truvada users for each symptom.
Side effects from Descovy are uncommon. If they do occur, they are usually temporary and subside after the first few days/weeks.
No, Descovy is not meant to be taken on-demand. It can only be taken once daily. If you are considering “PrEP on demand” you should use generic Truvada. It should be noted that PrEP on demand is less effective and thus daily PrEP use is what Freddie recommends.
No, you cannot mix the two concurrently. However you can move from generic Truvada to Descovy and back.
They build up protection equally as quickly. Your protection begins for receptive anal sex seven days after starting daily PrEP. Before seven days have passed, it is recommended that you take additional HIV protection (such as wearing a condom). For vaginal sex or injection drug usage, it is recommended to wait 21 days for maximum protection.
Freddie is currently offering Descovy in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan. Please contact us for more information.
