FDA agrees to
share generic drug information with WHO

The Food and Drug Administration last week announced that it will share information on its approvals of generic anti-HIV medications with the World Health Organization in an effort to speed WHO's approval of the drugs, The Boston Globe reports. The FDA implemented an accelerated approval process for generic antiretroviral medications to be used in developing countries, but many donor nations refuse to accept the medications until they have received similar approval from WHO. The agreement will allow the FDA to provide its test results and inspection reports to WHO, which will use the information to decide whether to include the medications on its list of qualified medications. The agreement will "reduce the cost of AIDS drugs, and we also hope it decreases the confusion on the ground," WHO HIV/AIDS program director Jim Yong Kim told the Globe.