Ray of hope for HIV affected children

PUNE: Children fighting the deadly HIV/AIDS infection can finally find some succour.
The Pune-based Emcure Pharmaecuticals on Saturday announced that a new 3-in-1 anti-retroviral cocktail, and that too in syrup form, will be available for kids infected with the deadly virus.
While this development will put India in the global map in drug manufacturing, experts associated with treatment of the infection said lack of paediatric formulations had created newer problems in the fight against the disease.
"Although treatment and availability of drugs for HIV/AIDS may have emerged as a key sector amongst pharmaceutical companies, but when it comes to children infected with this deadly virus, they sill continue to be the neglected lot," said a senior researcher from the national AIDS research institute.
While welcoming Emcure''s initiative, the researcher said most pharma companies were reluctant to prepare and market paediatric formulations for the HIV/AIDS infected children, as there is no lucrative potential market.
Named as Emtri Suspension, the new paediatric formulation will be manufactured at Emcure''s Pune plant, this new paediatric formulation.
Emcure''s director (operations) AK Khanna told TNN that the three drugs in the cocktail are Lamivudine, Stavudine and Nevirapine. The drug will be made available in Pune from Sunday after a brief ceremony in the presence of city MP Suresh Kalmadi and visiting first president of Zambia Kenneth Kaunda, he said, adding that is the first-of-its kind formulation to be available in the world.
Khanna said the combination drug is priced at less than Rs 500 per month for the therapy in the domestic market, while the pricing is yet to be fixed for the Africa.
With the rate of paediatric HIV infection in India and some African nations still continuing to as high as 15-20 per cent compared to two per cent in the developed countries, this combination will largely help both the infected ones and medical practitioners.
While 5.1 lakh children below 15 years died of HIV/AIDS in 2004, according to a report published in UNAIDS in the year 2004, an estimated 22 lakh children below 15 years are living with HIV, the multilateral agency report said. In India there are about 55,000 children living with the illness till December 2004.
Asked if clinical studies have been done prior to releasing this combination in the market, Khanna said that is not required. "The three drugs are already available in the adult dosage form in the market, which was crushed and administered to children,� he said, however, adding that a strong post-marketing surveillance will be maintained.