The Norvir tablets and the Norvir soft-gelatin capsules both contain 100mg of ritonavir. While the rate of drug absorbed is different, there is no requirement for dosage change. Norvir is used in combination with other antiretroviral medications to treat HIV. All forms of Norvir, including the soft-gel capsule and liquid form, remain available in the US.
Scott Brun, divisional vice president of infectious disease development for global pharmaceutical R&D at Abbott, said: “Norvir has been a critical component of HIV treatment for many patients. The innovation behind the development of the Norvir tablet is the direct result of years of effort by Abbott scientists to address the needs of people living with HIV. Abbott has been dedicated to finding new and more convenient ways for patients to manage their HIV through the development of novel diagnostics testing methods and medications for more than 20 years.”
Abbott scientists evaluated several candidate formulations before developing the final Norvir tablet formulation. The Norvir tablet was developed using Abbott’s Meltrex technology, a proprietary melt-extrusion process, making it more heat-stable. This is the same technology used to develop Abbott’s Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir) tablet, which combines lopinavir and ritonavir.