Kenya gets latest generic AIDS drug

By Magdalene Mukami and Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - Kenya on Wednesday became the first country in Africa to launch a new first-line drug for people living with HIV to replace traditional antiretroviral (ARV) drugs which have many side effects.

Called Dolutegravir (DTG), the new drug is said to prolong the lives of those infected with HIV/AIDS with no severe side effects such as diarrhea, hypersensitivity, resistance to drugs, kidney failure and some other side effects associated with previous ARVs.

While rolling out the new drugs in capital Nairobi to be distributed immediately to 27,000 people living with HIV, Dr. Jackson Kioko, director of Medical Services at Kenya's Ministry of Health said: "We are delighted to partner with Unitaid on this innovative project that will no doubt improve the lives of Kenyans living with HIV, build healthcare worker experience, and generate the evidence needed to introduce DTG on a larger scale by early 2018."

Most of the 27,000 people who will be put on the drug are unable to handle the side effects of normal ARVs, according to Lelio Marmora, executive director of Unitaid, a global health initiative working to end HIV/AIDS across the globe.

"The drug is cheap, has little to no side effects and will reduce the pill burden on patients," Marmora said.

"DTG offers great potential for better and less costly HIV treatment. Through this catalytic work, we are significantly reducing the time it takes for people living with HIV in countries like Kenya to access the latest ARVs on the market. These are important developments as we move towards HIV treatment for all in need," he added.

Kenya has more than 1.5 million people living with HIV/AIDS with an annual 78,000 new infections according to government statistics. Unitaid said the drug would later this year be launched in Nigeria and Uganda.