Bangalore-based Strides Arcolab, a global pharmaceutical company, has announced that it has got tentative approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a combination drug containing Lamivudine and Stavudine, which is used in the treatment of AIDS.

In an announcement, the company said that the sanction for lamivudine and stavudine in 150-milligram/30-mg dosages in tablet form, was expedited under the provisions of the President`s Emergency Plant for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

Mr. V S Iyer, Chief Executive Officer, India Operations Strides said, “This approval is yet another significant milestone in the front line of approvals for key HIV/AIDS medicines. This takes the total NDA`s/ANDAs approvals received to 11 under the PEPFAR program. This, combined with our pipeline of second line drugs will make us a significant player in the quality, affordable multi-source ARVs business segment.”

Strides Arcolab makes a variety of ethical pharmaceutical products, over-the-counter products and nutraceuticals.

The Company's products list comprise softgel capsule, hard-gel capsules, tablets and dry and wet injectables. It is the one of the biggest softgel capsule maker in the world.

The Company has 15 production sites in six countries and marketing presence in 50 countries.

Shares of Strides Arcolab declined 0.2%, to trade at Rs 95. The total volume of shares traded was 16,406 at the BSE (12:50 p.m., Wednesday).