FOSTER CITY — The University of California is testing a potential HIV prevention pill in a first-of-its-kind study in the state. The UC-based California HIV/AIDS Research Program (CHRP) has awarded grants totaling $11.8 million to see if a current HIV drug can be used to prevent the onset of the virus.

The antiretroviral pill Truvada, made by Foster City-based Gilead Sciences, Inc., was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 2004 to treat HIV patients. An international trial has shown it works as a preventive measure in select gay and bisexual populations, according to Dr. George Lemp, the director of CHRP.

‘It found that prep was effective in preventing HIV infection overall at 44 percent,