NAIROBI, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Kenya said on Friday it had stopped using an HIV/AIDS treatment drug that was recalled in Europe in June after it was found to be contaminated, a senior Kenyan official said on Friday. Viracept, known generically as nelfinavir, was withdrawn in Europe and other countries in June after Swiss drug manufacturer Roche Holding AG <ROG.VX> found a chemical impurity in the product. Zambia banned the drug early this month. "Viracept was withdrawn immediately on notification of contamination," James Nyikal, Kenya's director of medical services, said in a statement. An estimated 600 Kenyans were taking the medication through the public health system, he said, though he did not disclose the number of people using the drug through private clinics. "All patients received Kaletra as a replacement. This drug is not inferior to Viracept," he said. Viracept belongs to a class of AIDS drugs known as protease inhibitors. It is a crucial part of drug cocktails used to treat people when they first need antiretroviral (ARV) therapy. Kenya's AIDS prevalence dropped from 14 percent in 2000 to 6.9 percent in 2006, but an estimated 1.3 million people are living with the virus, latest government statistics show. Currently about 120,000 Kenyans are receiving ARV treatment.
