HIV/AIDS is treatable, but millions of children are still waiting
Across the globe last year, 700,000 children were newly infected with HIV – half a million of them live in Africa, compared to only 250 in Europe and North America. But there are no affordable AIDS tests that work in babies or medicines that kids can take easily. And without treatment, half of babies born with HIV in poor countries die before their second birthday. But because developing AIDS drugs for poor kids is not profitable, many companies don't even study their existing or new adult anti-retroviral drugs in children. As an example, the WHO recommends efavirenz for treating AIDS in children, but to date it has still not been studied in children under three years. At least two companies, Cipla and Ranbaxy, are developing much-needed triple-drug formulations for children. Other companies like GlaxoSmithKline are working on low dosage tablets for kids. But we need to put pressure on all drug companies to systematically study all of their AIDS drugs in children and make easy-to-use formulations for kids now. We must make sure that the youngest people living with AIDS are not forgotten.
THE PROBLEM WITH THE DRUG FORMULATIONS AVAILABLE NOW:
Syrups can taste bitter, are hard to dose correctly, and often need refrigeration,
which frequently doesn't exist in poorer countries. Plus, syrups
always cost more than pills.
Adult tablets need to be crushed so kids can take them, making it difficult to
give the right dose – both over-dosing and under-dosing can be dangerous.
WHAT WE NEED:
Drugs in solid form are the solution, but they need to come in varying sizes,
so that caregivers can easily give kids the doses they need as they grow. Syrups
will still be needed for the youngest of babies, but these should not require
refrigeration.
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Send a letter or postcard to one of the drug companies below, and join Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in our push for the development of AIDS drugs for children.
This list shows what we need the major originator and generic drug companies to do for kids with AIDS:*
Today, the following companies don't produce any of their AIDS drugs for children:
Company |
AIDS Drug |
Formulation For Kids? |
Form |
What We Need |
Gilead |
tenofovir |
NO |
NONE |
We need Gilead to speed up studies of their AIDS drugs in kids |
Hetero |
Produces 17 ARVs |
NO |
NONE |
We need Hetero to make AIDS drugs for kids. |
Ranbaxy |
Produces 13 ARVs |
NO |
NONE |
We need Ranbaxy to speed up development of its three-in-one combination for kids. |
Strides |
Produces 8 ARVs |
NO |
NONE |
We need Strides to make AIDS drugs for kids. |
These are the Companies that produce some versions of AIDS Drugs for Children:
Company |
AIDS Drug |
Formulation For Kids? |
Form |
What We Need |
Abbott |
lopinavir/ritonavir |
Yes, BUT |
syrup |
We need Abbott to make easy-to-use AIDS drugs for kids. |
Aurobindo |
Of 11 ARVs only 4 in kids form: |
Yes, BUT |
syrup |
We need Aurobindo to make easy-to-use AIDS drugs for kids. |
Boehringer Ingelheim |
nevirapine |
Yes, BUT |
syrup |
We need BI to make this drug in easy-to-use pills for kids. |
Bristol Myers Squibb |
stavudine |
Yes |
low-dose capsules |
We need BMS to make easy-to-use kids doses of their 2 other AIDS drugs |
Cipla |
Of 15 ARVs only 5 in kids form: |
Yes, BUT |
syrup |
We need Cipla to speed up the development of their three-in-one pill combination for kids, and to make easy-to-use pills. |
Combinopharm |
zidovudune |
Yes, BUT |
syrup |
We need Combinopharm to make easy-to-use pills for kids. |
GlaxoSmithKline |
abacavir |
Yes, BUT |
syrup |
We need GSK to speed up the development of low-dosage tablets, and to study all of their new AIDS drugs in kids. |
GPO [Government Pharmaceutical Organization] |
Of 7 ARVs, only 4 in kids form: |
Yes, BUT |
syrup |
We need GPO to speed up the development of their three-in-one pill combination for kids. |
Merck |
efavirenz |
Yes, BUT |
syrup + |
We need Merck to lower prices and make its drugs for kids more available. We urge them to study efavirenz in kids under 3. |
Roche |
enfuvirtide |
NO |
NONE |
We need Roche to study nelfinavir in kids and start making its other drugs for kids. |
*This is not an exhaustive list of needed and available drugs. The information in this table is based on information provided by companies for the MSF price report Untangling the web.