Best-in-class medicines
Fruit flavored and dispersible
Properly dosed
Affordable
What are child formulations and how are they developed?
Pediatric formulations of medicines are versions specifically designed for treating children. Producing them generally requires adapting adult medicines so they taste better and are easier to administer, particularly to small children who cannot swallow pills, while investing in additional research to understand proper dosing for children of different ages and weights. Child-friendly formulation development must also account for the logistical complexities and costs related to shipping syrup formulations to low- and middle-income countries.
Why are children often the last to benefit when new medicines are introduced?
Because medicines tend to be developed with the broadest possible recipient community in mind, drugs are developed for adults. Adaptations for children usually come several years later, if they are developed at all.
Developing medicines for children is more complex and costly and, because children represent a much smaller market, companies often lack the incentive to develop child medicines. This is why we fund the development of affordable child formulations, so the youngest and most vulnerable to disease can benefit from advances in treatment as quickly as possible.
Because medicines tend to be developed with the broadest possible recipient community in mind, companies usually address adult needs first. Research needed to test drugs and adapt them for children’s use usually comes several years later, if at all.
Developing medicines for children requires extra investment and, because children may represent a smaller and less predictable market, companies sometimes lack the incentive to develop child-friendly formulations. This is why Unitaid funds the development of affordable child medicines, so the youngest and most vulnerable to disease can benefit from advances in treatment as quickly as possible.
How has Unitaid helped advance treatment for children living with HIV?
Since our creation in 2006, we have dedicated significant resources to improving medicine formulations for children living with HIV to ensure they are not left behind as HIV treatments have evolved.
Most recently, as part of our larger efforts to enable access to the game-changing HIV medicine dolutegravir in low- and middle-income countries, we funded the development of child-friendly formulations and brought generic formulations of the medicine to market. A landmark agreement, brokered by Unitaid and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) with two generics manufacturers, brought the price of a full year of pediatric HIV treatment down by 75%, now available for an average of US$120.
In 2021, the first children received pediatric dolutegravir. As of 2024, the child formulation has been supplied to approximately 98 low- and middle-income countries.
In addition, our country-based projects have helped prepare the ground for scaled use by working with national programs and communities, and ensuring all evidence is available for policy and normative work.
Our focus on child medicines
We place a particular emphasis on children’s needs in global health responses, to ensure the medicines, tests and other tools are safe and adapted for their care.
