WHO Adds Seven Antiretrovirals to List of Prequalified HIV Drugs
The World Health Organization on Wednesday 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, Reuters/Independent Online reports (Reuters/Independent Online, 12/14). All seven drugs have received approval or tentative approval from FDA, which assesses drugs in a similar way to WHO (Xinhua/People's Daily, 12/14). 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 (Reuters/Independent Online, 12/14). 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 (WHO release, 12/14).
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