Bush wants 10m Aids patients be treated in 15 countries
MIL/Agencies, Jul 14, 2005. Special Correspondent
Washington - It is confirmed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that they have provisionally approved a generic version of the AIDS drug Retrovir, or AZT, allowing it to be used overseas as part of an US plan to fight global AIDS.
According to FDA, the generic form of the anti-retroviral drug will not be available in the United States because Retrovir is still patent-protected.
However, because the company's version of AZT meets the FDA standards, it will be eligible for purchase and use in other countries under US President George W Bush's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
As per Reuters, Bush's five-year, $US15 billion program launched in 2003 aims to pay for treatment for two million AIDS sufferers and provide care for 10 million others in 15 countries, mostly in Africa.
NIA President Dr. Raj Baldev, is hopeful that USA would play a very useful play in providing treatment to the AIDS patients to check this dangerous disease.
NIA Secretary Shashi Kala said that the FDA has taken a good step by provisionally approving a generic version of the AIDS drug Retrovir, or AZT, allowing it to be used overseas as part of an US plan to fight global AIDS.
Reuters added: AZT, known chemically as zidovudine, is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor that helps keep the AIDS virus from multiplying.
|