AEGiS-Chicago Tribune: FDA approves AIDS pill for poor nations

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

FDA approves AIDS pill for poor nations

Chicago Tribune - July 6, 2006

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first 3-in-1 antiretroviral pill for use by the U.S.-sponsored plan for AIDS treatment, something that the White House's acting global AIDS coordinator said Tuesday should greatly improve treatment for AIDS patients in poor countries.

Although it is not yet clear how much money it will save, having patients take only one pill twice a day "should facilitate better therapies and better adherence," said the coordinator, Dr. Mark Dybul.

The agency approved the pill for patients in countries helped by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

Under that plan, the United States is now the largest provider of antiretroviral drugs in the world, paying for treatment for 561,000 patients in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.

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