FDA tentatively OKs generic AIDS drug

WASHINGTON, Jun 16, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- The U.S. FDA has given tentative approval to the generic version of an AIDS drug, allowing it to be used to treat patients in poor countries.

The generic version of Lamivudine is manufactured by Aurobindo Pharma Ltd. Of Hyderabad, India.

The FDA action does not allow the drug to be sold in the United States. But the FDA certified that it meets U.S. standards, allowing it to be considered by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

Lamivudine is one of the class of drugs called Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors, which stop HIV from infecting uninfected cells in the body. This anti-retroviral drug is used in combination with other anti-retroviral agents for the treatment of HIV-1 infection.