The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Thailand Government Pharmaceutical Organization’s anti-retrovirus HIV drug Efavirenz, and the GPO is now looking to overseas sales.
According to GPO chairman Sopon Mekthon, Efavirenz is the first drug developed in Thailand and Asean to pass the WHO Pre-qualification Programme and be included in the WHO’s pre-qualified list. Consequently, international health organizations such as the Global Fund and Unicef can order the medication for use in underdeveloped countries.
The organization had taken 16 years to develop the drug, which has the same properties as the prototype medication. Efavirenz is the medication prescribed to all HIV-infected people when they are first diagnosed with the virus.
