Hair samples from infants show exposure to anti-HIV drugs in the womb and during breast-feeding

Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Makerere University in Uganda have used hair and blood samples from three-month old infants born to HIV-positive mothers to measure the uninfected babies' exposure—both in the womb and from breast-feeding—to antiretroviral medications their mothers were taking. The results, they said, are surprising
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"We found high levels of exposure to three antiretroviral medications in the hair samples of HIV uninfected infants at twelve weeks of life," said study senior author, Monica Gandhi, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine at the UCSF Division of HIV/AIDS at San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (SFGH). "From looking at plasma level data at the same time point, we believe that transfer of two of the medicines from mother to baby occurs exclusively in the womb and transfer of the third medication occurs both in the womb and through breastfeeding."

FDA approves formulations of tenofovir for HIV-infected children

Posted on PediatricSuperSite.com 

The FDA has approved updated labeling for tenofovir disoproxil fumarate to include dosing information for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in pediatric patients aged 2 to 18 years.

The FDA has also approved a supplemental New Drug Application for three lower-strength, once-daily tablets of tenofovir (Viread; Gilead Sciences) in doses of 150 mg, 200 mg and 250 mg for children aged 6 to 12 years, as well as an oral powder formulation to support dosing in pediatric patients aged 2 to 5 years.

For the treatment of HIV-1 in pediatric patients aged at least 2 years, the recommended oral dose of tenofovir is 8 mg/kg of body weight (up to a maximum of 300 mg) administered once daily as oral powder or tablets.