WHO says the treatment of HIV in children requires four drugs.
Summary
- Later this year, DNDI ,MOH and Kemri to conduct Phase three research trials that will test the effectiveness and safety of this new medicine.
- The new treatment aims at addressing these challenges, thus improving drug adherence, survival and well-being of young children living with HIV.
- The DNDI works with the WHO, governments, research institutions, academic bodies and pharmaceutical companies to develop low-cost quality drugs for neglected diseases affecting the poor.
Babies will soon benefit from friendly HIV drugs adapted to their unique needs.
The
new medicines are designed to eliminate storage, palatability and
dosing challenges associated with the current treatment for children
below two years who are unable to swallow solid tablets used for HIV
treatment.
Bernard Pecoul, executive director of the
Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDI), in an interview with the
Business Daily, said the organisation in partnership with India-based
drug manufacturer Cipla has developed child-friendly anti-retroviral
(ARV) drugs that are ‘easy’ on children.
Later this
year, DNDI will work with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Kenya
Medical Research Institute (Kemri) to conduct Phase three research
trials that will test the effectiveness and safety of this new medicine.
“This
is the final stage of testing and we hope that by next year, the drug
will be available for use by the large number of babies living with HIV
in Kenya and Africa,” said Dr Pecoul.
Based on the
World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, HIV treatment in children
requires the use of four drugs that are usually administered in the form
of syrup and a tablet (which dissolves in water).
Though
effective, Olawale Salami, paediatric HIV project manager at DNDI,
stated that the syrup has a bitter taste which renders it unpalatable to
most children. It also has a high alcohol content which can be
dangerous to this group.
Again, the syrup needs to be stored at low temperatures
that are difficult to achieve without refrigeration, which a majority
of Kenyan households cannot afford. High temperatures compromise its
efficacy.
These treatment barriers are largely to blame
for the huge proportion of HIV-related deaths occurring in young
children —compared to older ones — in not only Kenya but the entire
sub-Saharan Africa.
The new treatment aims at
addressing these challenges, thus improving drug adherence, survival and
well-being of young children living with HIV.
It is a ‘4-in-1’ drug that combines all the four different types of medicine currently used for HIV treatment in young children.
The
drug comes in the form of good tasting granules contained in a capsule.
The granules can be sprinkled in the baby’s milk, food or water. “The
granules taste good and aren’t bitter. So we expect them to be
acceptable to children,” said Monique Wasunna, director of DNDI Africa.
Aside
from being devoid of alcohol, she added that the new medicine can be
stored safely at room temperatures. As a capsule, it will be easier to
adjust the doses as the weight of a child increases.
“It’s easier to deal with whole capsules than deal with liquid syrup
which is measured in millilitres using a syringe,” stated Dr Salami.
The
DNDI works with the WHO, governments, research institutions, academic
bodies and pharmaceutical companies to develop low-cost quality drugs
for neglected diseases affecting the poor.
Paediatric
or HIV in children is viewed as a neglected ailment affecting the poor
since mother-to-child transmission of HIV has been eliminated in most
developed nations. The numbers are high in Africa.
Not much has been done to address treatment challenges in young children.
“The
adults have better drug formulations that are easy to take and adhere
to, while young children are still forced to deal with bitter syrups
that sometimes make them vomit and shun the medicine. This has to stop,”
said Dr Pecoul.
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