On October 6th, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was proud to announce the addition of the 100th antiretroviral drug to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program. PEPFAR is dedicated to the treatment, prevention, and care of individuals affected by the worldwide HIV/AIDS pandemic.

PEPFAR was founded in 2003 by the United States congress, and today remains the greatest commitment ever made by a single nation against one disease. In September 2009, PEPFAR had provided antiretroviral treatment to more than 2.1 million people with HIV/AIDS and 1.6 billion dollars towards treatment programs.

By the year 2013 PEPFAR hopes to have given life-saving treatment to at least 3 million people, and to have prevented approximately 12 million new infections. Additionally, they aim to have provided care for 12 million people, 5 million of whom are orphans and vulnerable children. Provided care includes support other than retroviral treatment, such as HIV counseling and testing.

The drugs administered by PEPFAR are assessed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A drug can receive either full approval or tentative approval to become a part of the program. Drugs often earn “tentative approval” because they cannot be marketed in the U.S. due to existing patent protection restraints. However, these tentatively approved drugs are just as safe and effective as those fully approved.

The approval of the 100th drug represents a milestone in PEPFAR’s mission to improve the health of disadvantaged people on an international level.

To learn more about PEPFAR, please see the PEPFAR Web site and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services news release. For more on PEPFAR in recent politics, see the related AIDS Beacon articles.