New HIV medicine under development for children in Brazil

Children living with HIV in Brazil are to benefit from the introduction of a new medicine manufactured with groundbreaking technology.

The medicine, known as Efavirenz, offered to adults in pill form as part of the cocktail therapy against AIDS, was enhanced through nanotechnology. The outcome is a smaller version, better for child use.

The technology improves the way the medicine's active principle is processed by the human body (liquid formulas in existence, in addition to not being recommended by the World Health Organization, have a rather unpleasant taste, a short expiration date, and high transportation costs).

The product is being develop by scientists from the Institute of Drug Technology (Farmanguinhos), linked to FIOCRUZ, the main institution for the production of antiretroviral medicines with Brazil's Ministry of Health.

Unprecedented medicine

Researcher Helvécio Rocha, coordinator at the Laboratory for Advanced Pharmaceutical Systems, said that this type of pediatric medication—developed through nanoparticles—is unprecedented in history. The new pill dissolves in the mouth and in the water, and is expected to be more easily accepted by children.

“The idea behind our product is to generate a more adequate formula to the age of pediatric patients. We have to make it appealing, as it is a long-term treatment, so, if it tastes bad, children may start rejecting it. There has been an attempt to improve the taste and at the same time to make the national product meet the recommendations from the Health Ministry and the World Health Organization,” he stressed.

The greatest challenge, Rocha says, was inserting the active principle in small doses preserving the desired effect of the medicine in the bloodstream.

The product is expected to undergo clinical testing by the end of next year and be made available in the market in 2020.

According to official data, 21 thousand children in Brazil are HIV-positive.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira