Africa, Asia and the Pacific > President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief

On Novermber 18, 2011, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted tentative approval for atazanavir sulfate and ritonavir fixed dose combination tablets, 300 mg/100 mg, made by Matrix Laboratories Limited of Hyderabad, India, indicated for use in combination with other antiretrovirals for the treatment of HIV-1 infection.
The application was reviewed under the expedited review provisions of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
"Tentative approval" means that FDA has concluded that a drug product has met all required quality, safety and efficacy standards, but is not eligible for marketing in the U.S. because of existing patent protections.

Tentative approval does, however, make the product eligible for purchase outside the United States under the PEPFAR program.
As with all generic applications, FDA conducts an on-site inspection of each manufacturing facility, and of the facilities performing the bioequivalence studies, to evaluate the ability of the manufacturer to produce a quality product and to assess the quality of the bioequivalence data supporting the application prior to granting approval or tentative approval to these applications.
You can find a complete list of all Approved and Tentatively Approved Antiretrovirals in Association with the President's Emergency Plan on the FDA web site.

Richard Klein
Office of Special Health Issues
Food and Drug Administration
Kimberly Struble
Division of Antiviral Drug Products
Food and Drug Administration
Africa, Asia and the Pacific > President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief