HIV treatment

Bristol Myers Squibb to cut price of two HIV drugs for children

Keith Alcorn
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Bristol Myers Squibb announced yesterday that is is cutting the cost of its paediatric formulations of two drugs – stavudine (Zerit) and didanosine (Videx) – in least developed countries.

The cost of stavudine will fall by 44% to 85 cents a day and didanosine by 90% to 15 cents per day. A generic formulation of didanosine was approved for use by the PEPFAR programme earlier this year by the United States' Food and Drug Administration.

Bristol Myers Squibb also announced that it is partnering with Baylor College, Houston, to send more than 250 paediatricians to countries severely affected by AIDS in order to spread expertise in the treatment of children. The partnership will establish a Paediatric AIDS Corps that will recruit paediatricians for one to two year attachments.

Glossary

paediatric

Of or relating to children.

generic

In relation to medicines, a drug manufactured and sold without a brand name, in situations where the original manufacturer’s patent has expired or is not enforced. Generic drugs contain the same active ingredients as branded drugs, and have comparable strength, safety, efficacy and quality.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Regulatory agency that evaluates and approves medicines and medical devices for safety and efficacy in the United States. The FDA regulates over-the-counter and prescription drugs, including generic drugs. The European Medicines Agency performs a similar role in the European Union.

formulation

The physical form in which a drug is manufactured or administered. Examples of formulations include tablets, capsules, powders, and oral and injectable solutions. A drug may be available in multiple formulations.

New clinical centres of excellence will also be established in Burkina Faso, Uganda and two other countries still to be selected. Baylor College already operates sites in Romania, Botswana, Swaziland and Lesotho.

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