/ 30 March 2000

NEVIRAPINE ONLY IN SA FROM JULY

HEALTH Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said on Thursday that the anti-retroviral Aids drug Nevirapine would not hit the shelves in South Africa before July at the earliest. This is because the results of the SA Medical Control Council tests to detect any side-effects of the drug are not ready yet, SABC radio reported. Nevirapine, which is much cheaper than AZT and an only requires on dosage, would cost about R26 for each patient. It has been used successfully in Uganda to reduce mother to child transmission of HIV.