Companies Expand Access To Nevirapine Donation Program.(Brief Article)

2001 OCT 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) --

Axios International announced that they will assist Boehringer Ingelheim to facilitate the implementation of their Viramune Donation Program for the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (MTCT) of HIV-1 in developing countries.

In July 2000, Boehringer Ingelheim announced their commitment to supply its anti-AIDS drug, Viramune (nevirapine), free of charge for five years to developing countries for use in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV during labor and delivery. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that since the beginning of the AIDS pandemic, more than 5 million children worldwide have been born HIV infected, the majority in sub-Saharan Africa. Viramune for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission is included on the WHO Essential Drugs List.

"We will not spare any effort to facilitate access to Viramune for HIV infected pregnant women and their babies in developing countries" said Dr. Joseph Saba, Axios. "Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (MTCT) has been an international priority for a few years. However, building solid public health programs and reaching communities with appropriate interventions takes time. The generous donation of Viramune from Boehringer Ingelheim is accelerating the response and making ...