HIV Medications, Kaletra

Lopinavir was developed by Abbott in an attempt to improve on the HIV(AIDS) resistance and serum protein-binding properties of the company’s earlier protease inhibitor, ritonavir. Given alone, lopinavir has too low of abioavailability, but, like many HIV protease inhibitors its blood plasma levels can be greatly increased by using low doses of rionavir. Abbott decided to pursue a strategy of administering lopinavir with sub therapeutic doses of ritonavir and lopinavir is marketed as a formulation using ritonavir. It is the first multi-drug capsule to contain a drug not available individually.

Lopinavir/ritonavir was approved by the US FDA on 15 September 2000, and in Europe in April 2001. The patent will expire in 2016.

Abbott Laboratories was one of the earliest users of the Advanced Photon Source, a national synchrotron-radiation light source at Argonne National Laboratory. One early reseach project undertaken at the APS was HIV. Utilizing X ray crystallography researchers were able to find the points of attack of the HIV protease inhibitors, agents that prevent the breakdown of proteins. Protease inhibitors stop HIV from making new copies of itself by blocking the last step in the process, when the virus attempts to replicate – and out of that discovery came the drug Kaletra.

Abbott was one of the first users of the APS, a synchrotron radiation light source at Argonne Nat. Lab. An early research project undertaken at Advanced Photon Source was HIV. Using X-ray crystallography, researchers found the points of attack of the HIV protease inhibitors – agents that block the breakdown of proteins. Protease inhibitors stop HIV from making new copies of itself by blocking the last step in the process, when the virus attempts to replicate – and out of that discovery came the drug kaletra.