The Medicines for All Institute has entered into a partnership with a manufacturer in South Africa to commercialize advances made by the institute to improve access to lifesaving medications for HIV/AIDS and other diseases. The institute, which has successfully developed cost-saving formulas for key anti-HIV drugs, is based at Virginia Commonwealth University and its College of Engineering in Richmond, Virginia. Officials at VCU and Chemical Process Technologies Pharma Ltd. recently signed a three-year agreement outlining their collaboration. The South African company will validate and scale up processes developed by…
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Indigenous cosmetic brands are taking off in SA
Looking pretty is serious business, with the sector continuing to register good growth. Image: Waldo Swiegers, Bloomberg A struggling economy doesn’t necessarily mean makeup products will be left on the store shelf, but those shopping for cosmetics are increasingly looking for more affordable and organic brands. According to market research firm Euromonitor International, although consumers are cutting back on non-essential goods, beauty and personal care products continue to register good growth, despite the challenges in the market. “On the demand side, a strong personal grooming trend where greater importance was attached…
Read MoreAspen set to sign deal with Indian supplier
Aspen Pharmacare is poised to sign a deal with an Indian company to provide it with the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) used for making HIV/Aids drugs, CEO Stephen Saad said on Thursday, shortly after presenting the company’s annual results to investors. Aspen, SA’s biggest pharmaceutical manufacturer and one of its longest-standing suppliers of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to the government, has consistently said that the low-margin, high-volume business is vulnerable to exchange-rate fluctuations that affect the cost of imported APIs, which are priced in dollars These ingredients accounted for between 60%…
Read MoreEngineered probiotics a gutsy new field
CAPE TOWN – Bacteria mostly have a bad reputation for causing disease, so the idea of drinking a few billion bacteria every day for your health might seem a bit hard to “swallow!” However, substantial scientific evidence is indicating that bacteria can be used to treat and prevent many illnesses. Therefore, millions of people all over the world are taking capsules of probiotics on a daily basis with the goal of improving their digestion and health. Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are often recommended for gastrointestinal problems, for…
Read MorePharmaceutical operations gives Adcock Ingram a boost
CAPE TOWN – The Adcock Ingram Group has reported an 11 percent increase in headline earnings per share to 421.7 cents from continuing pharmaceutical operations for the year to June 30, 2019, in spite of weaker consumer spending. The share price increased 4.3 percent to R57.90 Wednesday morning after the release of the results, in a market where the JSE All Share index barely moved. Turnover rose 11 percent to R7 billion and trading profit was up 12 percent to R955 million. A final dividend of 100 cents per…
Read MoreHow voluntary licensing agreements are transforming HIV care
BARCELONA — In 2014, ViiV Healthcare, a pharmaceutical company dedicated to ending the HIV epidemic, and the Medicines Patent Pool, an organization funded primarily by Unitaid to increase access to medicines in lower-income countries, signed two voluntary licensing agreements. The agreements allowed generic manufacturers to produce and sell low-cost versions of the ViiV-developed HIV drug dolutegravir in all low- and lower-middle income countries, and across sub-Saharan Africa. The licenses also cover pediatric HIV treatment in upper-middle income countries. More reading ► Reducing stigma in health facilities to achieve UHC ► Candidate HIV vaccine to be tested for efficacy in…
Read MoreAspen to split SA commercial pharmaceutical business
Multinational drugmaker Aspen Pharmacare said it will split its South African Commercial Pharmaceuticals business into two distinct divisions as part of a strategic review of its South African and European operations. Aspen, with a presence in 56 countries spanning six continents, said on Thusday the split would improve its focus on products and customers. In its half-year results statement, it said a second phase of the review would concentrate on developing strategies specific to each division, although it did not say what the two divisions would be. Source: Rueters
Read MoreWill innovative trends help to further boost SA’s Vitamins Industry?
As the lifestyle of individuals become increasingly busy, many are seeking more efficient ways to remain fit and healthy, while also boosting their energy levels. As an alternative to traditional Vitamin pills and tablets, some people are turning to Vitamin IV drips and inhalable Vitamins. These innovative trends could potentially shape the future of the Vitamins market. Insight Survey’s latest SA Vitamins Industry Landscape Report 2019 uncovers the global and local markets based on the latest information and research. It describes the market drivers and restraints as well as the relevant global and…
Read MoreEntries now open to start-ups: Sanofi partners with Afric@Tech to accelerate healthcare innovation
Sanofi a leading life-sciences company, is looking to partner with Africa’s start-ups to assist in finding innovative solutions to improve healthcare in Africa. “Our ambition is to accelerate healthcare innovation in order to bring technological innovation to solve issues of healthcare accessibility, specialist training, and better management of chronic disease care with a specific focus on the public sector,” says Thibault Crosnier Leconte, Country Chair and RX General Manager, Sanofi South Africa. This year’s challenge is looking to improve awareness and diagnosis of patients suffering from Diabetes; access to medicines…
Read MorePharma sector breathes sigh of relief over 2019 pricing
Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi has gazetted the 2019 increase in the single exit price for medicines and scheduled substances, and the pharmaceutical industry believes the increase of 3.78% for the coming year better reflects the operational costs of local manufacturers. “Last year the increase was 1.2%, which was totally out of kilter with manufacturers’ operating expenses,” says Stavros Nicolaou, senior executive at Aspen and chairperson of the Pharmaceutical Task Group (PTG), which represents SA’s major drug manufacturing associations. “We have worked hard at building a constructive relationship with both the…
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