Circular 01 April 2026: Retraction of Paediatric Abacavir/ Lamivudine/ Dolutegravir (pALD) Fixed Dose Combination Tablet
The circular titled Availability of New Antiretroviral Products: Paediatric Abacavir/ Lamivudine/ Dolutegravir (ABC/3TC/DTG) 60 mg/30 mg/5 mg Fixed-Dose Combination Dispersible Tablets (pALD) (Reference: 2026/01/19/EDP/01) was issued on 6 February 2026 to inform provinces, districts, clinical managers, pharmacists, and healthcare workers of the availability of pALD, including its clinical indicat
The circular titled Availability of New Antiretroviral Products: Paediatric Abacavir/ Lamivudine/ Dolutegravir (ABC/3TC/DTG) 60 mg/30 mg/5 mg Fixed-Dose Combination Dispersible Tablets (pALD) (Reference: 2026/01/19/EDP/01) was issued on 6 February 2026 to inform provinces, districts, clinical managers, pharmacists, and healthcare workers of the availability of pALD, including its clinical indications, dosing guidance, transition planning, and procurement considerations.
Subsequently, there has been a disruption in the anticipated supply of pALD from the contracted manufacturer, Cipla. As a result, the planned rollout has been placed on hold pending availability of stock. Timelines for stock availability are still under investigation and will be communicated to relevant stakeholders once confirmed.
Timelines for stock availability are still under investigation and will be communicated to relevant stakeholders once confirmed. Accordingly, pALD is currently not available on the ARV tender (HP13-2025ARV) for general procurement. In the interim, healthcare workers are advised to continue prescribing the dual abacavir/lamivudine formulation in combination with single-agent dolutegravir, in accordance with current guidelines (see Table 1 in attached pdf). The current paediatric products available on tender are shown in Table 2 (in the attached pdf).