A local pharmaceutical company has been picked to benefit from free technical expertise to make generic medicine for HIV — the virus that causes Aids.
Switzerland-based Roche yesterday said Kenya's Regal Pharmaceuticals will be provided with expertise to produce its second line HIV medicine, saquinavir. The company is among four firms — in Africa and Asia — that have been identified to benefit from the initiative.
Arising from the deal, experts say the price of generic drugs on the local market is likely to further become lower.
In a statement, Roche said it had identified CAPS Holdings in
Zimbabwe, Shelys Pharmaceuticals in Tanzania and Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd in Bangladesh as the other companies expected to benefit from the technology transfer initiative.
“Roche will not file patents on new antiretroviral medicines in least developed countries or sub-Saharan Africa,” according to the statement yesterday.
Technology transfer
Since its launch two years ago, Roche has signed technology transfer agreements with nine companies across sub-Saharan Africa and the world's least developed countries.
Roche Pharma division chief executive William Burns said: “These new agreements highlight the ongoing contribution that our technology transfer initiative is making to help strengthen and expand local manufacturing capabilities for HIV medicines in resource-limited countries.
“With more local manufacturers now looking to scale-up production of essential medicines, the continued uptake of this initiative highlights Roche as an innovative leader in supporting sustainable solutions to improve HIV healthcare where it is needed most,” he said.
Roche has expanded the technology transfer initiative to include training seminars for local manufacturers across sub-Saharan Africa and the world's least developed countries.
Announced in January 2006, the Roche technology transfer initiative aims to provide local manufacturers with the technical expertise required to produce generic HIV medicines.
Manufacturers in sub-Saharan Africa and the least developed countries wishing to produce generic saquinavir for use in the region will not be required to apply for a voluntary licence, as Roche has committed not to enforce patents on antiretroviral medicines within its countries. |
