Abbott: Heat stable Norvir provides similar levels to current capsule

Abbott has announced new study data showing its investigational heat-stable tablet formulation of Norvir (ritonavir) provides similar levels of the drug in the blood to the existing Norvir soft-gelatin capsule.

It notes this formulation of Norvir does not require refrigeration, increasing the convenience of the drug, especially in developing nations.

The information presented at the 17th International Aids Conference in Mexico City showed similar bioavailability for both formulations, with the tablet well tolerated in the study performed in 93 healthy adult volunteers.

No serious adverse events were reported in either patient group.

Norvir is a protease inhibitor used in conjunction with other anti-HIV drugs to treat people infected with the virus.

Pedro Cahn, president of the International AIDS Society, said: “The heat-stable formulation of ritonavir may help to further expand protease inhibitor-based HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy) in regions where the need for refrigeration of HIV medicines is a major barrier to treatment and care.”

Also presented at the Aids 2008 conference was trial data showing that Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir) offered similar results for increasing CD4 cells and controlling the HIV virus across race and gender lines, providing similar results in women and non-white people as in men and white people.