WHO adds seven antiretrovirals to list of prequalified HIV drugs

9 February 2006. Related: Treatment access.

In December, the World Health Organization added seven more drugs – six produced by India’s Aurobindo Pharma and one by South Africa’s Aspen Pharmacare – to its list of prequalified antiretroviral drugs.

All seven drugs have received approval or tentative approval from FDA, which assesses drugs in a similar way to WHO. FDA in August agreed to begin sharing confidential information on its approvals of generic antiretroviral drugs with WHO in an effort to accelerate the distribution of low-cost medications worldwide (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 8/15).

There are now 77 HIV/AIDS-related drugs that WHO recommends for use in developing countries. The addition of the FDA-approved drugs “adds value to the process by providing a wider selection of products of assured quality into a single comprehensive list,” according to WHO.

Source: Kaiser Network.org 15 December 2005

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=34331

Links:

World Health Organization

http://www.who.int/en/

The US Food and Drug Administration http://www.fda.gov/