The South African Health Minister has announced that, as from April next year, HIV patients who are on ARV treatment will no longer have to take three tablets a day, but only one. During a media briefing, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi announced a tender award for a single dose of the triple combination of tenofovir, entricitabine and efavirenz.
Dr Motsoaledi noted that though the tender seems costly to the country’s financial wellness, at R5.9 billion, South Africa has managed to reduce the cost of the tender by 38%, which is a massive saving of R2.2 billion. He commented, ‘This new tender has moved from an original cost of R8.1 billion to R5.9 billion for two years, this savings means we can treat more patients with the same budget.’ The price of the three-in-one combination from Aspen Pharmacare, Cipla Medpro and Mylan Pharmaceuticals, who were awarded the tender, is R89.37, which Dr Motsoaledi described as now the world’s lowest price for this product.
This move is set to improve the wellbeing of all pregnant women whose wellness has been affected by HIV, and their children. According to Dr Motsoaledi, from April 2013, all HIV-positive pregnant women, regardless of their CD4 count, will be given the single dose combination during pregnancy and breast feeding. He said that at least 80% of patients who are on ARV treatment will also be able to switch to the single dose combination, noting that those who can’t be switched, for whatever reason, can still take individual ARV drugs.
The benefits of the new drug will be huge in terms of patient compliance, logistics and storage, Dr Motsoaledi said, adding that it will also have fewer side effects. ‘The fixed dose combination brings with it an additional extraordinary benefit, the combination is more effective than dual therapy and has fewer side effects for the pregnant mother, in addition to its’ convenient dosage regimen,’ he highlighted.
Dr Francesca Conradie, Clinical Advisor for TB/HIV at the Wits University’s Clinical HIV Research Unit, assured that it would not harm the mothers with a high CD 4 count in any way. ‘Simplification of the tablets is so much easier for mothers and it will lead to better results,’ she said. Dr Motsoaledi added that the drugs will be available in all 3000 health facilities, and there will be no more delays in supply, as experienced in the past. ‘We have asked the suppliers to give us their commitment on this and all three of them have done so,’ he said.
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