Thailand Eyes Generic Versions Of Two AIDS Drugs

Thailand may produce generic versions of two antiretroviral (ARV) drugs made by U.S. drug companies in a bid to treat patients resistant to a domestically-made AIDS drug, health officials said Saturday. The two drugs are Efavirenz, produced by Merck, and Kaletra -- a combination of Lopinavir and Ritonavir made by Abbott Laboratories Inc . Health officials say the move is necessary because 20 percent of HIV-infected people in Thailand are resistant to GPO-VIR, the generic ARV drug produced by the state-owned Government Pharmaceutical Association (GPO).