Cipla Quality Chemical Industries Limited (CiplaQCIL) recently dispatched 300,000 packs of ARVs (a combination of tenofovir, emtricatabine, efavirenz) to South Africa, as part of its “Africa for Africa” ambition.
According to the 2019 UNAIDS statistics, South Africa has the biggest HIV epidemic globally, with 7.7 million people living with HIV and has the world’s largest antiretroviral programme[1].
The 300,000 pack consignment marks the beginning of supply that’s expected to spread over the next 12 months and will give South Africans access to quality medicines made in Uganda. CiplaQCIL’s CEO, Nevin Bradford, said: “Guaranteeing these volumes for the next 12 months foreshadows a manufacturing expansion for CiplaQCIL into one of the largest pharmaceutical markets in Africa.”
It also opens doors for the new first-line ARV treatment, a combination of tenofovir, lamivudine and dolutegravir (TLD), which CiplaQCIL is now able to supply after recently receiving the necessary regulatory approvals.
“For the first time, a manufacturer from East Africa has received approval to supply ARVs to South Africa. The Good Manufacturing Practice approval from the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority not only bestows a vote of confidence in CiplaQCIL but also in Uganda’s pharmaceutical industry as a whole,” said Bradford. CiplaQCIL is also in the final phases of gearing up to manufacture the antimalarial drug, hydroxychloroquine. This drug is included in the World Health Organization’s Solidarity trial, to find a treatment for COVID-19[2].
[1] HIV and AIDS in South Africa. Available at https://www.avert.org/professionals/hiv-around-world/sub-saharan-africa/south-africa#footnote1_slld3zi
[2] “Solidarity” clinical trial for COVID-19 treatments. World Health Organization. Available at https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/global-research-on-novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov/solidarity-clinical-trial-for-covid-19-treatments
