DNDi launches child-friendly 4-in-1 antiretroviral treatment for young children living with HIV in South Africa

Published on 14 June 2022 at 16:36 - Modified the 2 August 2024 at 03:02

As part of a project supported by the Monegasque Cooperation, Drugs for Neglected Diseases (DNDi) has just obtained approval from the South African authorities for the distribution of a "4-in-1" antiretroviral treatment specially designed for HIV-positive infants and young children. Developed with the international pharmaceutical company Cipla Limited, this new combination is revolutionizing access to easy-to-use treatment for children living with HIV.

This "4-in-1" fixed-dose combination of four antiretroviral that is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) has just been aproved by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA). This new formulation represents a significant improvement over regular paediatric ARV formulations because it does not require refrigeration, has a sweet taste and is easy to administer to infants and children of different weights and ages, a major improvement for both children and their caregivers over previously available formulations.

As a reminder, the country has 238,000 children under the age of 15 living with HIV – the highest in the world. Worldwide, 2.78 million children and adolescents are living with HIV – 88% of them in sub-Saharan Africa – but only 54% have access to treatment, according to UNICEF.

The 4-in-1 treatment was developed and registered with the financial support of the Monegasque Government, Unitaid, the French Development Agency as well as Swiss and Spanish Development Cooperation agencies, among other partners.

More information : https://dndi.org/press-releases/2022/cipla-dndi-launch-child-friendly-4-in-1-antiretroviral-treatment-young-children-hiv-south-africa/