A new 3-in-1 AIDS pill made in India and approved by U.S. drug regulators is expected to treat patients in poor countries.
The pill made by an Indian generic drug company is the first such antiretroviral treatment approved by the Food and Drug for patients in countries helped by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, reports The New York Times.
Dr. Mark R. Dybul, the White House global AIDS coordinator, said the new pill should greatly improve treatment for patients in poor countries.
Under a White House plan, the United States has become the largest provider of antiretroviral drugs in the world. The plan helps treat some 561,000 patients in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, the Times reported.
The new pill, made by Aurobindo Pharma of Hyderabad, India, combines three common first-line drugs, AZT, 3TC and NVP, which are sold in the United States as Retrovir, Epivir and Viramune, the report said.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
