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UNITAID: Drug factory closure could leave babies without HIV drugs
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The planned closure of a Bristol-Myers Squibb drug factory this month in France could lead to massive shortages of didanosine, an essential second-line medication for infants with HIV, according to a statement from HIV activists from UNITAID.
The statement came in the form of an open letter to Lamberto Andreotti, CEO of Bristol-Myers Squibb, that was published in The Lancet.
“Closing this factory means that 4,000 to 7,000 babies currently enrolled in treatment plans in developing countries through UNITAID could be left without the medicines they need,” UNITAID officials wrote. “Didanosine (Videx) is the last therapeutic option for these babies and without it they could die.”
Bristol-Myers Squibb plans to open a new didanosine plant in April, but in the interim, there may be a shortage of as many as 15,000 packs, according to findings in the statement.
Although generic formulations of didanosine exist, the UNITAID sources wrote that WHO authorities have not assessed any of those formulations.
Kamal-Yanni M. Lancet. 2010;doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(10)60940-3.