A non-governmental organisation, Unitaid, which works to reduce the cost of HIV/AIDS drugs has hinted that the most advanced drug for HIV treatment, Dolutegravir, will be introduced in the country by the end of the year.
The drug is already being used in advanced countries but not in Africa because of the high cost. Dolutegravir will be provided free to 27,000 people who are currently intolerant to the side effects of the present drug used in the country. However, the generic Dolutegravir has two advantages. According to Robert Matiru of Unitaid, Dolutegravir is good from a pharmaceutical point of view and much cheaper. Matiru also described the drug as “the most effective HIV treatment currently in the market.” It is taken one pill per day, which makes it easier to take than those currently in the market. Moreover, it causes fewer side effects and patients are less likely to develop resistance.
Unitaid has invested $67 million to ensure that the new drugs can be introduced in low and middle-income countries without having to wait for ten years. While a box of 30 pills of DTG, which lasts for a month, costs 25 dollars or $50, the generic version only costs $4. 2015 statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO) show that about 37 million people are living with HIV/AIDS in the world, 70 percent of them in Africa.
Great!
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