Indian AIDS drugs not below standard: UNAIDS

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Indian AIDS drugs not below standard: UNAIDS

TIMES NEWS NETWORK [TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2004 11:47:20 PM ]

NEW DELHI: In what can be called an encouraging move, UNAIDS said that

WHO's recent decision to take off names of certain Indian companies

from its list of AIDS drugs does not mean that they are sub-standard.

Replying to questions at a press conference on Tuesday on the annual

launch of the AIDS Epidemic Update, Dr Purnima Mane of UNAIDS pointed

out that WHO has, in fact, told patients not to stop using these drugs.

Mane said the reason for such an action from WHO was absence of

adequate data to the international agency. " The situation is being

monitored and we are working closely with the companies, " she said.

Indian companies Cipla and Ranbaxy had to take their AIDS drugs off

the WHO list recently as they did not meet certain requirements. The

generic version of these medicines have brought them within the reach

of thousands of people.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/933197.cms