Aurobindo Pharma''s anti-AIDS drug selected by WHO

Mumbai: The World Health Organisation (WHO), Geneva, has included Aurobindo Pharma Ltd''s Nevirapine tablets 200mg, in its pre-qualification list.

This is the Indian pharmaceutical company''s fourth product to be included in the WHO pre-qualification list. The others are 300mg-Zidovudine tablets, and the 150mg- and 300mg-Lamivudine tablets.

Nevirapine is a key anti-retroviral (ARV), in the treatment of AIDS. Nevirapine is in the class of drugs called non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), which help keep the AIDS virus from reproducing. This anti-retroviral drug is used in combination with other anti-retroviral agents for the treatment of HIV-1 infection.

All the four products form part of ARVs, which help Aids / HIV affected countries to provide cost effective treatment. The global fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria disburses money for medicines that have been pre-qualified by the WHO process.

Aurobindo Pharma has in the past has received approval for Cephalexin capsules for dosages of 250mg and 500mg, (the global market of the drug is valued at $80 million) and Amoxicillin tablets for 500mg and 875mg and Amoxicillin Capsules 250mg and 500mg and also a tentative approval for oral solution Lamivudine from the US FDA.

The company had also received the certificate of suitability by the European directorate for the quality of medicines (EDQM) for its active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) flucloxacillin sodium.