Ranbaxy gains WHO pre-qualification for four more ARVs

The World Health Organisation, Geneva, has included Ranbaxy Laboratories' four additional anti retroviral (ARV) products in its pre-qualification list. The products approved by the WHO are:

Efavirenz 600mg tablets
Efavirenz 200mg capsules
Stavudine 30mg capsules
Stavudine 40mg capsules

With these inclusions, Ranbaxy Laboratories now has a total of 12 ARVs on the WHO pre-qualification list. The company also has three approvals from US FDA for ARVs, making it eligible for making supplies to the US-funded PEPFAR programme.

"This is a significant development," said Malvinder Mohan Singh, CEO & MD, Ranbaxy Laboratories. "We strongly feel that Generic ARVs are essential in fighting the worldwide struggle against HIV / AIDS and are committed to providing high quality, cost effective generics." He further added, "Efavirenz is rapidly becoming a preferred drug in HIV treatment program in developing countries. The other newly listed drug, Stavudine, is also being widely used as a first line of therapy against AIDS. Both products increase customer choice enabling patients to access therapy easily, at affordable prices."

The Company's ARVs, including the recently approved WHO pre-qualified products, are manufactured at its state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, inspected and approved by some of the most stringent global monitoring agencies apart from the US FDA and the WHO.