Canada, Europe give go-ahead to Kaletra

Health Canada and the European Commission have granted marketingapproval to Abbott Laboratories' new protease inhibitor, Kaletra (lopinavir/ ritonavir), which was cleared in the USA last year (Marketletter September 25, 2000). Phase II and III clinical trials show that Kaletra is "more effective than nelfinavir [Roche's Viracept] when used as a first-line PI," and viral suppression data, after more than two years' treatment, indicates that long term control of the virus in HIV patients can be effectively provided. Further findings include lack of resistance to Kaletra in treatment-naive patients, superior potency in reducing viral load compared to nelfinavir and effectiveness in treating children and treatment-experienced patients.