More than 150 ARVs available through PEPFAR for global HIV/AIDS relief

US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg says that the agency has approved or tentatively approved a total of 152 antiretroviral (ARV) drugs in association with the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to treat those infected with HIV/AIDS in countries that lack the tools needed to fight the AIDS epidemic.

The most recent FDA actions in association with PEPFAR were tentative approvals of the following generic drugs:

- abacavir oral solution (Hetero Labs, July 2, 2012);
- lopinavir and ritonavir oral solution (Cipla, June 29, 2012); and
- efavirenz tablets (Edict Pharmaceuticals, June 25, 2012 and Micro Labs, June 20, 2012)