Paediatric HIV formulation have been launched

[Guest guest]

Three articles related to the launch of Paediatric HIV formulation

(Moderator)

1) HIV/AIDS DRUG LAUNCHED

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=7764

2) HIV-infected children get a city booster: new drug

With Rs 175 for 100 ml, Emcure's Emtri to hit market today

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=121154

3) Kaunda's son talks from experience

http://citieexpressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=121249s.

_______________________

1) HIV/AIDS DRUG LAUNCHED

12:18 IST: There are an estimated 5.1 million people living with

HIV/AIDS in India, second among all the countries in the world next

only to South Africa and 90% of the reported cases in our country

occur in sexually active and economically productive age group of 15-

49 years and hence HIV/AIDS is not just a public health problem but

a developmental issue with far-reaching social, economic and

political implications. This was stated by the Union Health and

Family Welfare Minister, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss in New Delhi

yesterday at the launching ceremony of an oral suspension for

treating children infected with HIV/AIDS. The drop has been

manufactured by a private pharmaceutical company.

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Ramadoss said that the Government is

providing anti-retroviral therapy to people living with HIV/AIDS

free of charge since 1st April, 2004 and till date, more than 5000

people living with HIV/AIDS have been treated through Government

hospitals supported by National AIDS Control Organisation.

The former President of Zambia, Dr. Kaunda, who formally

launched the product appealed to the International community to join

hands to fight the dreaded disease that was claiming increasing

number of lives every year.

EK/MK.

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=7764

________________________

2)HIV-infected children get a city booster: new drug

With Rs 175 for 100 ml, Emcure's Emtri to hit market today

Express News Service

Pune, March 13: IT is not just a first for the country, but in all

probability, it is for the first time in the world that a new

paediatric formulation has been launched to treat HIV-infected

children. On Sunday night, Pune took another step in curbing the

dreaded AIDS menace with Emtri — a cocktail of three drugs

manufactured by city-based Emcure Pharmaceuticals — when it was

officially launched by MP Suresh Kalmadi in the presence of the

first president of Zambia, Kaunda.

Though the adult variant of the 3-in-1 drug — a combination of

lamivudine, staviduine and nevirapine — has already been there in

the country, the children's drug is in suspension form and will be

in the market from Monday.

``A bottle of 100 ml of the suspension will cost Rs 175,'' Emcure

director (operations) A K Khanna told Newsline. The National AIDS

Control Organisation (NACO) statistics show that there are 55,000

HIV-infected children in the country, while there are 2.2 million

worldwide.

``Apart from India, we are also looking at Africa where the need is

urgent. The safety profile of the drug has already been

established,'' Khanna said. Till now, the 3-in-1 pill was crushed

and given to children, he said.

Earlier in the day, Kaunda along with son Vaja Kaunda addressed

Symbiosis students on `Fighting AIDS'. ``In the name of Africa, we

will fight and conquer AIDS. Don't be afraid of AIDS,'' he appealed

to students

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=121154

_____________________________

3) Kaunda's son talks from experience, tells doctors to deal with

HIV infected. Express News Service

Pune, March 14: IF the former Zambian president Dr Kaunda

speaks passionately about combating AIDS, then his son Dr Waza

Kaunda is the moving force behind the high-profile anti-AIDS

campaign.

Waza Kaunda is a member of the Royal College of Physicians and is

both Director of Programmes and the president of Kaunda's

Children of Africa. Kaunda, who also promotes research on the

dreaded disease that has snatched 1.5 million lives in Zambia

itself, admits that he was scared.

``Yes, I was frightened. As a doctor I was scared and the patient

was frightened. After examining the AIDS patient, I washed my hands

so many times,'' Kaunda junior reminisced while addressing an

audience of medical professionals and NGOs working in the sphere of

AIDS at Hotel Taj Blue Diamond on Sunday night.

The function was organised by Emcure Pharmaceuticals and AIDS

Society of India to felicitate Kaunda and also

launch `Emtri'- the paediatric suspension of the anti-retroviral

cocktail drug. MP Suresh Kalmadi launched the product while

Kaunda felicitated doctors working with AIDS patients.

Waza Kaunda promotes research on nutrition and is impressed with the

AIDS Society of India's work on setting up special clinics to deal

with AIDS patients. ``Yes, we delayed tackling the problem. This

virus has the ability to photocopy,'' he rued. He urged the doctors

to venture out in the community and deal with patients infected with

HIV. If you wait for them to come to the clinic, it will be too

late, was his heartfelt plea. ``Believe me, HIV is a chronic

manageable illness,'' says Dr Waza Kaunda.

In his address, Kaunda admitted AIDS is an unusually

difficult problem. ``Africa has suffered a lot. Slave trade,

colonialism, apartheid... We have overcome and so why should we not

defeat HIV-AIDS,'' the 81-year-old crusader asked.

Dr R R Gangakhedkar, vice-president of AIDS Society of India

lamented that 18 years after the epidemic, the stigma continues. Dr

S B Mujumdar, President, Symbiosis, Lt Gen Punita Arora, Commandant,

Armed Forces Medical College and A K Khanna, Director, Operations,

Emcure Pharmaceuticals spoke about collaborating to fight AIDS.

http://citieexpressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=121249s.