Abbott, a leader in HIV/AIDS research since the early days of the deadly epidemic, announces it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for a new tablet formulation of its HIV protease inhibitor (PI) Kaletra.

The drug will allow adult patients to take fewer pills with or without food as part of their treatment. In contrats to the old drug, there will be no refrigeration requirements for the tablets.

Kaletra is the number one prescribed PI for the treatment of HIV worldwide and has been taken by hundreds of thousands of patients since the drug was introduced in 2000.

"Physicians strive to provide patients with medications that are effective against the virus and meet patient requests for simpler treatment regimens," says Calvin Cohen, research director for Community Research Initiative of New England and Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates.

He adds, "Kaletra tablets respond to physician and patient needs by combining the new benefits of fewer pills per day, without food or refrigeration restrictions, with a drug that has a well-established clinical track record."