HTB

FDA approval of generic ARVs

Since the last issue of HTB, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted tentative approval for the following new generic ARV products.

Drug and formulation Manufacturer, Country Approval date
abacavir 300 mg tablets Hetero, India 29 September 2010
AZT/3TC 300/150mg tablets Strides Arcolab,
India
18 October 2010
Abacavir 60mg dispersible paediatric tablets Matrix, India 29 November 2010

“Tentative Approval” means that FDA has concluded that a drug product has met all required quality, safety and efficacy standards, but because of existing patents and/or exclusivity rights, it cannot yet be marketed in the United States. Tentative approval does, however make the product eligible for consideration for purchase under the PEPFAR program for use outside the United States.

Fixed Dose Combinations are reviewed for PEPFAR under the FDA guidance titled “Fixed Dose Combinations, Co-Packaged Drug Products, and Single-Entity Versions of Previously approved Antiretrovirals for the Treatment of HIV”. This document was developed to clarify what regulatory requirements apply to such applications, what issues might be of concern, and how these issues should be addressed. The guidance is intended to encourage sponsors to submit applications for combination and co-packaged products, and to facilitate submission of such applications to FDA.

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/UCM079742.pdf

Effective patent dates are listed in the agency’s publication titled Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations, also known as the
Orange Book: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/ob/default.cfm

comment

This brings the total of FDA approved generic drugs and formulations to 116 since the programme started. An updated list of generic tentative approvals is available on the FDA website: http://www.fda.gov/oia/pepfar.htm

Source: FDA list serve:
http://www.fda.gov/InternationalPrograms/FDABeyondOurBordersForeignOffices/AsiaandAfrica/ucm119231.htm

Links to other websites are current at date of posting but not maintained.