Uganda among first countries to get pediatric Aluvia

Ugandan children are among the first to receive US drug major Abbott Laboratories' lower-strength Aluvia/Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir) tablet for children living with HIV/AIDS, a move the company hopes will begin to improve the lives of the 2.3 million children worldwide living with the disease. The announcement came on World AIDS Day, December 1. The World Health Organization recommends the drug for the treatment of children who no longer respond to first line HIV medicines.

As the first and only co-formulated protease inhibitor tablet that can be used in children, the new lower-strength dose has the same benefits as the original, according to Abbott. It does not require refrigeration and can be taken with or without food, two important advances in delivering antiretoriviral products in developing countries.

Abbott shipped the medicine to Uganda under a waiver order approved by the country's government. This allows medicines to be shipped, before they are approved in a specific country, provided that the national government gives specific permission.