Drug firm Aurobindo Pharma has received tentative approval from the US health regulator for its Ritonavir tablets used for treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Established in 1986, Aurobindo Pharma is present in semi-synthetic penicillins and therapeutic segments such as neurosciences, cardiovascular, anti-retrovirals, anti-diabetics, gastroenterology and cephalosporins, among others.

Did You Know?

• Infection results in the progressive deterioration of the immune system, breaking down the body’s ability to fend off some infections and other diseases. To check for infection, people will need to have std testing, as well as other blood tests, completed to see what is there.
• AIDS (Acquired immune deficiency syndrome) refers to the most advanced stages of HIV infection, defined by the occurrence of any of more than 20 opportunistic infections or related cancers.
• HIV can be transmitted through:
  • unprotected sexual intercourse (vaginal or anal) or oral sex with an infected person;
  • transfusions of contaminated blood;
  • the sharing of contaminated needles, syringes or other sharp instruments;
  • the transmission between a mother and her baby during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding.
• Globally, an estimated 36.9 million people were living with HIV in 2014, and 2.6 million of these were children. The vast majority of people living with HIV are in low- and middle-income countries.
• According to 2014 figures most of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa and were infected by their HIV-positive mothers during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.
• HIV is the strongest risk factor for developing active TB disease. In 2013, approximately 360 000 deaths from tuberculosis occurred among people living with HIV. That is one fourth of the estimated 1.5 million deaths from HIV in that year.