3-IN-1 AIDS TREATMENT COULD EASE TREATMENT REGIMENS IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES

A generic three-in-one anti-AIDS pill, recently approved by the FDA, could greatly ease daily treatment regimens for patients in African countries. The fixed-dose combination tablet, manufactured by Aurobindo Pharma, an Indian generic drug company, will be available for purchase and distribution under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

PEPFAR is a $15 billion initiative, launched by President Bush in 2003, for the prevention, treatment and care of HIV/AIDS in 12 African countries and the Caribbean.

Although it was not yet clear how cost-effective the new drug would be, HIV-positive people would need to take only one pill twice a day.