By: MDZ MUNDO – https://www.mdzol.com/mundo/argentina-desarrolla-nuevo-tratamiento-para-el-vih-de-que-se-trata-20190626-33782.html
Richmond Laboratories announced the launch of ZEVUVIR, a drug whose objective is to slow the progression of the virus in patients.
Richmond Laboratories, one of the leading suppliers of cancer and HIV-related drugs in Argentina, announced on Monday the launch of ZEVUVIR, a drug that seeks to delay the progression of the virus in affected patients.
This new medication, which is completely free of charge under local regulations, becomes the first generic in the region to achieve the same effects as Dolutegravir, a common medicine for carriers of the virus, which allows for the restoration and preservation of the immune system.
Miguel Pedrola, doctor and scientific director of AHF (AIDS Healthcare Foundation) Argentina —an organization that advocates for the rights and health of people living with HIV—, says that the launch of the drug is beneficial, since it has "few adverse effects".
"In this case, the drug works against what is known as integrase, a protein originally found inside HIV. This is positive because it's not easy for the virus to become resistant to the medication. These are the most common and effective treatments used by patients," the specialist explains.
Similarly, Gustavo Cañete, head of Infectious Diseases at the Isidoro Iriarte Hospital in the province of Buenos Aires and a member of PREVIN—an organization dedicated to virus prevention—highlights that the new generic will allow better access to the required medication.
“It can be administered once a day in pill form and has few side effects. This makes daily life easier for patients, and we think that’s great. (…) Even so, it’s not easy for all patients to take their medication as prescribed. We should also focus on injectables, which last for a month in the body, and that would allow for an improvement in quality of life,” says Cañete.
For a new national AIDS law
Both specialists agree that the generic drug from Richmond Laboratories is a medical advance that expands the range of medicines available to HIV carriers, but they admit that current legislation, such as the national AIDS law, is "outdated" and needs reform to guarantee better access to public health care.
“In Argentina, the law guaranteeing the rights of people with HIV was passed in 1990, and since then, there have been enormous advances in patient care. However, new problems have also emerged that are not covered by the legislation and cannot be solved with free medication. For example, there is no mention of the effects the virus can have on the body, such as lipodystrophy, which causes malformations and significantly impacts personal life,” explains Pedrola.
The specialist also agrees to provide financial assistance to patients who, due to their condition, cannot find employment that would allow them to pay for other expenses related to their condition.
“Patients have to pretend to be ‘disabled’ (when they are not) to receive an income that allows them to survive if they cannot find a job. How can a person without income pick up their medication at a hospital if they don’t have money for transportation? The situation of minors with HIV is also overlooked. This isn’t mentioned in the comprehensive sex education taught in schools, and it affects children who have to grow up in a society that tends to stigmatize them,” explains Pedrola.
The scientific director of AHF emphasizes that it is the duty of the State to provide access to universal health care, and asserts that it is a "political decision" for the country to depend on costly foreign licenses to produce these drugs.
“In our country, there is the possibility of manufacturing generic drugs with state-run laboratories, thus saving the government money so that it can allocate it to other issues, such as prevention programs and the expansion of rights. What the Richmond laboratory did can be replicated in the public sector,” Pedrola concludes.
In Argentina, according to figures from the National Ministry of Health, 6,500 new HIV diagnoses are registered each year. The trend has remained stable for the last ten years, but an increase has been recorded among women between 45 and 59 years old, and among men between 15 and 24 years old.
For his part, Dr. Gustavo Cañete believes that a reform of the current national AIDS law is necessary, but that a prevention policy must be imposed upon it.
“We have made great strides in treatment since 1990, and the life expectancy of those living with HIV today is the same as that of someone without the virus, but we still believe that the reduction in cases will come from prevention. Providing accurate information to our community will benefit the final results,” he concludes.