Peru adds eight drugs to HIV and hepatitis treatment
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
Peru’s Ministry of Health (Minsa) approved eight medications to treat people with HIV and chronic hepatitis B and C.
The decision introduces new treatment options, including single-tablet combinations and alternatives for patients needing to change their treatment plans. Minsa formalized the change through Ministerial Resolution No. 929-2026/MINSA, updating the list supplementing the National Unified Petition of Essential Medicines.
The new options include a dispersible tablet combining abacavir/lamivudine/dolutegravir for children with HIV, which Minsa expects will simplify treatment for around 500 children in the country. For adults with HIV, the list now includes tenofovir alafenamide/emtricitabine for patients with kidney or bone issues, and darunavir/ritonavir for those not responding to initial treatments. Minsa estimates over 4,000 adults will benefit from these additions.
The update also expands the use of tenofovir/emtricitabine/dolutegravir for pregnant women with HIV and incorporates tenofovir alafenamide for hepatitis B, potentially aiding over 500 people. For hepatitis C, the combination of sofosbuvir/daclatasvir will be available for more than 300 people. Minsa’s General Directorate of Strategic Interventions in Public Health secured the additions through the General Directorate of Medicines, Supplies and Drugs, noting the list had not been updated since 2023.
