Mylan Receives Tentative FDA approval for Paediatric Formulations of Abacavir/Lamivudine Through Innovative Collaboration

Mylan Inc. has announced that its subsidiary Mylan Laboratories Limited has received tentative approval from FDA for its New Drug Applications (NDAs) for two dosages of abacavir/lamivudine tablets for oral suspension for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in paediatric patients. This is the first version of abacavir/lamivudine with scoring to allow for dose adjustment and is also flavoured. The FDA's tentative approval through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) programme means the formulations meet all of the agency's quality, safety and efficacy standards.

The tentative approval follows a 2012 agreement between Mylan, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and ViiV Healthcare to transfer the necessary technology and resources to facilitate regulatory authority submission, production and distribution of the new formulation, at low cost, to a total of 115 resource limited countries including all low-middle  income, least developed countries and sub-Saharan Africa. Mylan's products are expected to be eligible for purchase in early 2015.

The fixed dose combination of abacavir and lamivudine tablets for oral suspension 60 mg/30 mg and 120 mg/60 mg is indicated for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in combination with other antiretroviral agents for paediatric patients.

More than 70% of the approximately 3.4 million children living with HIV worldwide do not have access to appropriate care and medicines(1). Improving those numbers will require medicines that are palatable to children and affordable to those living in resource-limited settings.

"The approval of abacavir and lamivudine tablets for oral suspension for marketing in developing markets demonstrates our commitment to providing the world's 7 billion people with access to medicine and our continued leadership in enhancing access to ARVs to patients in developing countries," Mylan CEO Heather Bresch said. "This new, flavoured, paediatric formulation is designed to help parents and caregivers give accurate doses of the medication depending on the weight of the child. The innovative work being done at Mylan, in combination with our partnership with ViiV and CHAI, has enabled us to develop this new product to treat children with HIV, a particularly vulnerable population."

Dr Dominique Limet, CEO ViiV Healthcare commented on the news: "Based on the need clearly identified by the Clinton Health Access Initiative in 2012, ViiV Healthcare became the first pharmaceutical company to fully fund the entire development process for a paediatric formulation of an HIV medicine which would then be transferred to another company for manufacture and distribution in the developing world.  I congratulate Mylan on this approval, made even more meaningful for us at ViiV Healthcare as it proved that this innovative approach to partnership can work."

David Ripin, Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer for CHAI said: "We are pleased that our partnership with ViiV and Mylan has resulted in an important new paediatric formulation, moving from concept to FDA tentative approval in less than two years.  The new, flavoured dispersible medication will help meet the needs of over 500,000 children being treated for HIV in low middle income countries and demonstrates leadership and innovation on the part of both originators and generic suppliers together to address the needs of paediatric patients worldwide.  We are pleased to have participated in this innovative public-private partnership with the support of the UK Department for International Development."