Ranbaxy receives WHO pre-qualification for three more ARVS
15 Sep 2007
The World Health Organisation, (WHO), Geneva, has included three more anti retroviral (ARV) products from Ranbaxy Laboratories in its pre-qualification list taking the total to 15 ARVs.
The
ARV''s approved by the WHO recently are:
Lamivudine 150mg/Zidovudine 300mg tablet + Efavirenz 600mg
tablet compliance pack
Lamivudine 150mg/Stavudine 30mg tablet + Efavirenz 600mg
tablet compliance pack
Lamivudine 150mg/Stavudine 40mg tablet + Efavirenz 600mg
tablet compliance pack
With these inclusions, Ranbaxy now has a total of 15 ARVs on the WHO pre-qualification list consisting of single dose and fixed dose combination products.
"We
are committed to using our experience and technology in
developing innovative products to make value added generic
ARVs that improve compliance and reduce costs. Malvinder
Mohan Singh, CEO&MD, Ranbaxy said. "Recent years
have seen major reduction in cost of ARVs and Ranbaxy
has been on the forefront in providing affordable ARVs
to patients across nations. We now need to look for other
benefits for patients and develop smarter products. We
are delighted with these new approvals and believe this
will benefit patients immensely," Singh added.
These ARVs are made available in compliance kit packs, designed to enhance patient compliance for medication and are Ranbaxy''s latest additions to the WHO list. These packs contain two fixed dose combination tablets of Lamivudine / Zidovudine or lamivudine / Stavudine with a single tablet of Efavirenz.
Among these, Lamivudine / Stavudine + Efavirenz formulations are the first by any company on the WHO list.
Worldwide, several patients use Lamivudine, Efavirenz and Stavudine / Zidovudine, all together. Presenting these ARV''s in kits will enable the doctors ensure patients comply with the treatment. The Kit packs will also make it simple for procurement managers to place orders and help to reduce cost of procurement and shipment.
Ranbaxy''s
ARVs, including the recently approved WHO pre-qualified
products, are manufactured at the Company''s state-of-the-art
manufacturing facilities in India, inspected and approved
by some of the most stringent agencies in the world. The
Company has already filed a range of ARVs for US FDA approvals
and has begun to receive tentative approvals from the
USFDA under the PEPFAR program. The Company''s ARVs are
sold in over 50 countries worldwide.