Government keen to cut deal with Aids drug firms

THE Department of Science and Technology wants antiretroviral drug suppliers to allocate some of their products to a new state-owned pharmaceutical firm, Ketlaphela, as part of plans to tackle the country’s Aids problem, a department spokesman said yesterday.

Ketlaphela was set up last year to help cut the cost of the drugs which are needed to treat more than 2.7 million people.

The estimated overall HIV prevalence rate is 11.2 percent of the population, according to government figures, with more than six million people living with the disease last year, among the heaviest case loads in the world.

Ketlaphela is looking at eventually establishing its own drug manufacturing plant and also wants to introduce Ketlaphela-branded medicines by next year.

“A request for a proposal is being drafted to existing ARV ( anti- retroviral) suppliers to allocate a percentage of their current supply volumes to Ket- laphela in exchange for a longer term supply contract with Ketlaphela,” said department spokesman Lunga Ngqengelele.

In December 2014, the state chose four drug companies, including India’s Cipla and local firm Aspen Pharmacare, to make and supply the antiretrovirals to public hospitals. Ngqengelele said longerterm supply agreements between Ketlaphela and the d e p a r t ment, still under discussion, would allow more effective sourcing, as both local and international suppliers could plan better. “This is sure to improve security of supply and avoid shortages.”

Vivian Frittelli, chief executive of the National Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers said it would welcome a public-private partnership if it made use of spare production capacity.

A significant percentage of anti-retrovirals purchased by the government are imported, while those produced locally use ingredients imported mainly from India and China.– Reuters

‘A request to

ARV suppliers

to allocate a

percentage of

current supply

volumes to

Ketlaphela’