The World Health Organization has welcomed the decision of Abbott Laboratories to significantly reduce the price of an anti-retroviral drug, lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r). It said the reduction in price would rapidly help increase the access and affordability of lifesaving drugs for people living with HIV/AIDS. A statement released by WHO in Accra on Thursday said encouragingly the number of people being treated with ART continued to grow in low and middle income countries. WHO said the trend had resulted in an increase in the number of people who required access to “second-line” ART, as patients developed resistance to “first-line” treatments. It said the WHO would continue to work with countries, people living with HIV/AIDS, organizations and the pharmaceutical industry to find mechanisms that addressed the immediate needs to increase access and affordability of life saving drugs. WHO would also maintain the long-term need to foster research and development in innovative medicines. Source: GNA