Abbott's new and improved Kaletra: Only in the US... But what about the rest of the world?

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is deeply concerned that Abbott’s new version of the secondline fixed dose combination lopinavir/ritonavir – LPV/r, marketed as Kaletra, is not available in developing countries. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new version of LPV/r in October 2005 that has critically important advantages for patients in developing countries: lower pill count [down from six to four per day], storage without refrigeration, and no dietary restrictions. Some MSF projects have an urgent need for this drug, as no other boosted protease inhibitors – the cornerstone of second-line therapy - are practical to use in the hot climates of many developing countries, where refrigeration is not readily available.