Laurus Labs, a pharmaceutical and biotechnology company in Hyderabad, received approval from the United States FDA to launch the world’s first Oral Dispersible Film (ODF) drug, Dolutegravir, for treating HIV/AIDS in children and infants. The drug is presented as a second option for managing symptoms that align with the disease, and is currently available in pill and liquid suspension form. The ODF technology will simplify drug administration for children, ensuring strict compliance and adherence in HIV treatment.
The prevalence of HIV among children is considerably higher than adults, with almost 1.7 million children under the age of 14 identified as HIV-infected according to WHO statistics in 2021. In India, an estimated 69,808 children under the age of 15 were afflicted with HIV, representing three percent of the overall HIV-infected population in the country. Adult HIV prevalence has declined since the epidemic’s peak in 2000, with the northeast region states having the highest prevalence rates. The number of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) in India is estimated at around 24 lakhs.
