PETITE study searches for best treatment options for newborns exposed to HIV

<p>Researchers at Stellenbosch University (SU) are searching for the safest and most effective treatment for babies at high risk of contracting HIV.</p> <p>“Babies with HIV constitute a small proportion of the HIV-positive population, and only a few antiretroviral drug formulations and little pharmacokinetic data are currently available to inform optimal treatment,” says Prof Adrie Bekker of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at SU’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS). “We have made significant progress in the field of HIV, but a gap remains regarding optimal prevention and treatment of babies born to women with HIV.”</p> <p>Bekker and Dr Tim Cressey from Chiang Mai University in Thailand are the principal investigators of the PETITE study, evaluating the pharmacokinetics and safety of a novel fixed-dose combination (FDC) 4-in-1 granule formulation (abacavir/lamivudine/lopinavir/ritonavir) in neonates exposed to HIV. &nbsp;The study is funded by Unitaid as a<em> </em>part of the larger BENEFIT Kids project led by SU’s Desmond Tutu TB Centre<em>. </em>The BENEFIT Kids project primarily aims to improve children’s access to better treatment as well as the prevention of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, and has included this complementary and vitally important study for this much neglected population of infants.</p>