Pune firm brings hope to AIDS-hit kids

PUNE: Children affected with HIV/AIDS can finally find some succour. Pune-based Emcure Pharmaceuticals on Saturday announced that a new 3-in-1 anti-retroviral cocktail, in suspension form, will now be available for children.
While this development will put India on the global map in drug manufacturing, experts 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, children infected with the virus still continue to be neglected," a senior researcher from the National AIDS Research Institute said.
While welcoming Emcure''s initiative, the researcher said most pharma companies were reluctant to prepare and market paediatric formulations for HIV/AIDS-infected children, as there is no market potential.
Named as Emtri Suspension, the new paediatric formulation will be manufactured at Emcure''s Pune plant.
Emcure director (operations) A.K. 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 the first president of Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda, he said.
Khanna said the combination drug is priced at less than Rs 500 per month for therapy in the domestic market, while the pricing for Africa is yet to be fixed.
With the rate of paediatric HIV infection in India and some African nations continuing to as high as 15-20 per cent, compared to 2 per cent in the developed countries, this combination will largely help both the infected children and medical practitioners.
While 5.1 lakh children below 15 years died of HIV/AIDS in 2004, according to a report published by UNAIDS, an estimated 22 lakh children below 15 years are living with HIV, the report said. In India, 55,000 children have been living with the illness till December 2004.
Asked if clinical studies have been carried out prior to releasing this combination in the market, Khanna said it was 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.