Category Archives: news

27 pharma companies will supply generic COVID drugs to low-income countries

Posted on by

Twenty-seven pharmaceutical companies have agreed to produce a generic version of molnupiravir, Merck’s oral
antiviral for the treatment of COVID-19. The agreement will provide affordable access to the drug in 105 low- and
middle-income countries (LMICs) worldwide.

Merck will licence the medication to companies that meet certain quality-assurance standards, according to the
Geneva-based Medicines Patent Pool, a United Nations-backed public health organisation. For as long as the World
Health Organization classifies COVID-19 as a public health emergency, neither Merck nor its development partners will
get any fees from the licences.

Now, 27 firms have met Merck’s requirements: five will make the drug’s basic ingredients, nine will produce the
completed product, and thirteen will produce both.

Merck Executive Director Charles Gore said in a statement, “We are encouraged by the huge number of new and
existing partners who have moved fast to gain a sublicense for molnupiravir through MPP.” “This is a key step toward
assuring global access to a critically needed COVID-19 treatment, and we are sure that the anticipated medicines will be
available in LMICs quickly because manufacturers are working closely with regulatory authorities.”

“Increasing access to quality-assured generic versions of molnupiravir has been a priority for MSD from the beginning,
which led us to partner with MPP on a licencing agreement to expand access to quality-assured generic versions of
molnupiravir, subject to local regulatory authorisation,” said Paul Schaper, Executive Director of Global Public Policy at
Merck. “We’re excited to see this ambition come to fruition, with MPP’s selected generic manufacturing sublicensees
offering a wide range of regional variety.”

The manufacturers involved in the deal are Pakistan’s Remington; Egypt and Jordan’s Hikma; Kenya’s Universal
Corporation; South Africa’s Aspen and CPT,;China’s BrightGene, Desano, Fosun Pharma, Langhua, and Lonzeal; South
Korea’s Celltrion, DongBang, and Hanmi; Bangladesh’s Beximco and Incepta; Vietnam’s Stella; Indonesia’s Kimia Farma;
and 10 Indian companies: Arene Lifesciences, BDR, Biophore, Laurus Labs, Lupin, MSN, Natco, Optimus, SMS, and
Strides.

Merck collaborated with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics and Emory University to develop the medication. Despite a decline
in published efficacy from 48 percent to 30 percent due to new trial results, it got approval from the UK’s Medicines
and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in November and emergency use approval from the US Food and
Drug Administration (FDA).

This licencing agreement, as well as one struck by Pfizer for its antiviral, go a long way toward improving parity in
COVID-19 treatment, although the Wall Street Journal recently noted that even reduced prices from generic
manufacturers could be an issue for very low-income countries. In addition, some countries have insufficient testing,
which may prevent the treatments from being used when they are most beneficial.

Strides Pharma Science signs a deal with MPP to market molnupiravir in international markets

Posted on by

Strides Pharma Science has partnered with Medicines Patent Pool MPP, based in Geneva, to commercialise the antiviral medication molnupiravir in worldwide markets.

According to a statement from MPP, the company and its affiliate, Universal Corporation (Kenya), have entered into a voluntary non-exclusive sub-license relationship covering 105 countries.

Strides and UCL will produce the product in India and Nairobi, Kenya, in WHO-approved facilities. One of the two WHO PQ facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa is owned and operated by UCL.

“While our 200mg strength was launched in India under the Stripiravir brand, this partnership will allow us to commercialise the 400mg dose alongside the 200mg dose for global markets, extending significant patient benefits with higher compliance and better administration,” said R Ananthanarayanan, MD and CEO of Strides Pharma Science.

Strides Group would continue to develop and produce high-quality generic medications that will help the healthcare system and patients, notwithstanding the challenging COVID scenario in various regions of the world, it added.

Molnupiravir is an orally given ribonucleoside derivative that inhibits SARS CoV2 replication and has been demonstrated to be effective against the most frequent COVID-19 variations in clinical investigations. Strides acquired an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the DCGI in December 2021 to introduce molnupiravir 200mg in India.

Dar es Salaam to host premier international trade exhibition for the medical and healthcare industry

Posted on by

The 23rd edition of Medexpo will be hosted in Dar es Salaam at the Diamond Jubilee Hall from 17th to 19th of February 2022. The premier exhibition for the medical and healthcare industry is the one place to source new products, services and technology from around the world. The much awaited 2022 edition will be open from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM for the public till 19th of February 2022. Ambassadors, trade delegations and representatives from various countries and ministries are confirmed to be present to meet and support the companies representing their countries at the event.

As the biggest Medical Trade Event in Tanzania, Medexpo presents a unique opportunity for all medical and pharmaceutical industry leaders, innovators, business owners, importers, entrepreneurs as well as medical industry professionals like general medical practitioners, surgeons, doctors, physio-therapists, pharmacists, hospital administrators, lab technicians from related industries and backgrounds to source their needs and interact with international brands under one roof. The 3 day international trade event brings to Tanzania exhibitors from various countries showcasing innovative products tailored to the Tanzanian market. The main attraction this time is the Egyptian Pavilion hosting the latest products and innovations from Egypt. Countries participating include Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Italy, China, India and Spain.

Highlighting key sectors to promote and introduce new products equipment and services to the upcoming Ethiopian market is the primary goal for the trade exhibition. This year the participants are bringing to Tanzania – Medical Equipment, Medicinal Food Supplements, Personal Care Products, Medicine and Medical Cosmetics, Hip and Knee Systems, Emergency Medical Systems, Medical Implants And Sleep Apnea Products, Dental Implants, Cleanroom system, Water Treatment System, Injectable & Liquid Filling Compact Line, Autoclaves, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), Hand Sanitizer Dispenser, Orphan Drugs, Prefilled Syringes (PFS), Products related to Oncology, Cardiology, Nephrology, Interventional Vascular Products, Balloons Catheters and Accessories, Alginates, Silicones, Cements, Plasters, Medical Instruments and more.

The Tanzania Medical & Healthcare industry continues to be the most exciting and developing sector in the economy of the country, attracting thousands of investors. Tanzania with a population of 60 million also assumes the role of a gateway into the East African Region creating free access to a potential 133 million consumer market which is in demand of products like PPE kits, oximeters, breath analyzers, protective masks, medical gloves & shields, disinfectants & sanitizers, infrared thermometers and other medical safety gadgets.

Major pharmaceutical companies and medical equipment and devices manufacturers are already looking for opportunities to make inroads into this lucrative market.

For more information about this event, please visit: https://expogr.com/tanzania/medexpo/

Turkey has pledged 15 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Africa

Posted on by

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated at a major conference of African leaders that Turkey will deliver 15 million Covid-19 vaccine shots to the continent, calling the continent’s poor vaccination rates a “blot on humanity.”

During Erdogan’s tenure as Prime Minister and subsequently President of Turkey, which began in 2003, Ankara has made significant investments in building trade and diplomatic ties with the world’s poorest continent.

Erdogan told a crowd of hundreds of leaders and ministers that Turkey would provide 15 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to Africa, where cases are quickly increasing and immunisation rates are poor.

“We are aware of the global inequity in receiving the Covid-19 vaccine, as well as Africa’s unfair treatment,” Erdogan stated.

Turkey is researching on its own vaccine, dubbed Turkovac, which is currently awaiting emergency use approval.

Erdogan stated that after any approval, it will be shared with Africa.

Turkey’s remarks did not make it clear whether it would deliver certain doses of the globally licenced vaccinations it is presently employing, including those made by Pfizer-BioNTech.

“Within our resources, we plan to share 15 million vaccine shots in the coming months to help to the settlement of this crisis,” he stated.

Soaring infection rates

According to AFP calculations based on government numbers, the number of new infections across Africa has increased by 57% in the last week.

The worst-affected country is South Africa, which was one of the first in the world to be infected with the new Omicron form, which is thought to be even more contagious than previous coronavirus strains.

Erdogan stated that Turkey wished to improve ties with Africa in a variety of areas, including health, defence, energy, agriculture, and technology.

“Our true potential goes much beyond the goals we’ve set,” he remarked.

Turkey and African countries agreed in a final agreement to deepen cooperation in a number of areas, including health, “via more health sector investments.”

“We decided on a road map to improve our relations with the declaration we approved at this summit and the joint action plan,” Erdogan said at a concluding press conference.

Focus on trade

In the last 20 years, trade between Turkey and Africa has increased from $5.4 billion to $25.3 billion (4.8 billion euros to 22.5 billion euros).

Erdogan claimed that it had reached $30 billion in the first 11 months of 2021.

Turkey has set a new trade volume target for the future: $75 billion.

The third Turkish-African summit, which is by far the largest to date, is being attended by 16 African presidents of state and 102 ministers, including 26 top diplomats, according to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Erdogan also met with African leaders one-on-one, including Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, all of whom have showed interest in Turkey’s defence industry.

The next Turkey-Africa conference will take place in an unnamed African country in 2026.

3 million US Dollars boost has been given to a Kenyan medical firm

Posted on by

Revital Healthcare EPZ Ltd, a Kilifi-based medical supplies manufacturer, has obtained a new round of funding from two Japanese companies, allowing it to expand its production capacity.

Revital Healthcare has received a USD3 million (Sh339 million) investment from Asia Africa Investment and Consulting Pte Ltd (AAIC) and Ohara Pharmaceutical Company Ltd.

The Kilifi-based business, which is one of only 25 auto-disable syringe manufacturers pre-qualified by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the only one in Africa, will increase its yearly production capacity from 75 million to more than 400 million.

This comes after the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation invested Sh440 million in the company, boosting output to at least 300 million syringes per year by 2022, according to the company’s sales, marketing, and product development director Roneek Vora.

Revital believes that the support will result in the development of over 100 direct new employment and over 5,000 indirect new jobs, with at least 50% of new hires being women.

As the global rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations advances, demand for auto-disable syringes has risen.

According to PATH, a global non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing public health, there will be a scarcity of approximately 2.2 billion 0.5ml vaccine syringes in 2022.

In low and middle-income countries, particularly in Africa, this will have a significant impact on the Covid-19 immunisation effort, child immunisation, and inoculation of the new malaria vaccines.

Revital now produces 45 critical medical disposables, including syringes, Rapid Diagnostic Test Kits for Covid and Malaria, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits, surgical face masks, and viral transmission medium kits.

The investment comes at a time when the Omicron variant of Covid-19 is rapidly spreading over the world, causing countries to reintroduce severe measures such as lockdowns in an attempt to limit the infection.

In a statement, Vora stated, “Expanding manufacturing capacity in Africa for crucial goods like syringes is essential to secure adequate supply for the continent.”

He expressed his pride in the company’s contribution to worldwide efforts to guarantee that Africans have access to life-saving immunisation syringes.

Revital Healthcare chairman Rajni Vora stated that the business plans to expand into the diagnostics line, laboratory consumables, and other more necessary medical supplies with the financing from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, AAIC, and Ohara Pharmaceuticals.

President and CEO of Ohara Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Seiji Ohara, stated that the demand for medical syringes that protect African lives against not just Covid-19 but also other infectious diseases including malaria and HIV/AIDS will increase in the future.

“We are committed to and excited about this strategic relationship in addressing the current and future global health crises from Africa,” Handa stated.

Tanzania is establishing itself as a regional medical hub.

Posted on by

Tanzania is emerging as a regional hub for the provision of specialised healthcare services. Dar es Salaam is quickly becoming a destination for patients referred from neighbouring countries.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan has set her sights on making Tanzania a medical tourist destination of choice, having inherited noteworthy achievements in healthcare provision over the past 60 years. President John Magufuli was the one who started talking about the need for Tanzania to tap into the $72 billion-a-year global medical tourism sector in February 2020.

President Hassan pushed the idea even further when she took over. Dr Dorothy Gwajima, the minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly, and Children, will unveil a medical tourism promotion team in July 2021.

Mohamed Janabi, a veteran cardiologist and executive director of the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI), leads the team. Because JKCI already accepts patients from Comoro, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya, the government intends to start there.

According to Dr. Gwajima, the government has submitted an application to the World Health Organization (WHO) for Tanzania to be recognised as a medical tourism hub.

More investments needed

Medical tourism’s viability will be determined by Tanzania’s investments in medical human skills development, telemedicine, the digital economy, transportation infrastructure, lodging facilities, health service price affordability, and customer service makeover, among other things.

According to analysts, there is no way around creating a favourable investment climate and a conducive business environment to facilitate the establishment of medical facilities, pharmaceutical and medical equipment manufacturing, and investments in research and development. Following the adoption of the Arusha Declaration in 1967, Tanzania passed the Private Hospitals Regulation Act in 1977, which outlawed private for-profit healthcare providers. This Act was repealed in the 1980s, but investors would need assurance that nothing similar would happen again. However, Tanzania’s medical tourism ambitions are realistic at this point, given that the government has partially reversed its policy of exporting medical tourists to India and other countries.

Dr. Gwajima said in a report on Tanzania’s health sector’s 60th anniversary, which she presented to reporters on Monday, November 8, that in the fiscal year 2020/21, only two patients were referred to hospitals outside the country, compared to 554 in the fiscal year 2015/16. Obviously, the Covid-19 pandemic, which caused global travel bans in most countries and put a significant strain on healthcare services in every country on the planet, contributed to this very small number of patients being referred to more specialised medical treatment outside the country. What is clear is that the number of patients has been declining since 2016, when the government’s efforts to purchase more specialised diagnostic machines and equipment gained traction. According to statistics provided by the then-minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Children, and the Elderly, Ummy Mwalimu, the number of patients seeking treatment outside the country fell to 350 in 2018 from 550 in 2016.

Future plans

To strengthen Tanzania’s role as a medical hub, the government is installing software programmes in hospitals and improving performance merits through scorecards to overhaul service delivery and professionalism among the country’s healthcare professionals.

When introducing the medical tourism team, Dr. Gwajima emphasised the importance of taking customer service to the next level in order to attract as many patients from outside the country as possible.

The government is also building seven regional hospitals for the new regions (Njombe, Songwe, Simiyu, Geita, Manyara, Songwe, and Mara – Kwangwa), as well as expanding some of the existing hospitals and establishing new departments and services. The government is currently constructing medical oxygen production plants in seven regional referral hospitals (Geita, Manyara, Dodoma, Dar es Salaam-Amana, Mtwara, Ruvuma-Songea, Mbeya).

BioNTech Signs Deal with Senegal, Rwanda to Produce mRNA Vaccines

Posted on by

Senegal and Rwanda have agreed to build the firm’s first start-to-finish factories to create messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines in Africa, according to the Associated Press. BioNTech is a German company that was one of the pioneers in the development of a COVID-19 vaccine (AP).

Construction will begin in mid-2022, according to BioNTech, which created the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The company is collaborating with the Rwandan government and the Institute Pasteur in Dakar.

According to the Washington Post, the innovative mRNA technique employs the genetic coding for the Coronavirus spike protein and is anticipated to elicit a stronger immune response than standard immunizations. Scientists intend to employ the technology, which is easier to scale up than traditional vaccine processes, to develop vaccines for other diseases, such as malaria.

“State-of-the-art facilities like this will be life savers and game changers for Africa,” said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “They could lead to millions of cutting-edge vaccinations being created for Africans, by Africans, in Africa.” “This is also critical for the transfer of information and know-how, the creation of new jobs and skills, and, eventually, the strengthening of Africa’s health security.”

“To research vaccines in the African Union and to establish sustainable vaccine production capacities to collaboratively improve medical care in Africa,” says Ugur Sahin, BioNTech’s co-founder and CEO.

Meanwhile, the fact that Rwanda and Senegal are the only two Sub-Saharan African countries working together on this groundbreaking effort is no coincidence. For many years, Rwanda has worked to establish itself as a regional knowledge-based ICT centre, investing heavily in research and R&D capabilities.

Pfizer, the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, recently signed a memorandum of intent with the Biovac Institute for the production of 100 million doses per year. The agreement covers the bulk importation of the drug material, the filling of vials, and the product’s distribution across Africa and elsewhere. The current agreement between Senegal and Rwanda is critical for Africa’s collective fight against COVID-19 because of the small number of nations in Sub-Saharan Africa with the technological competence to make vaccines.

The BioNTech plan calls for the development of a containerized manufacturing unit in Germany, which will then be sent to Rwanda, cutting the time it takes to build a vaccination factory by at least a year and lowering the chance of delays. While BioNTech employees will initially manage and operate the facility, ownership and expertise will eventually be handed to local operations. Based on Biovac’s experience in South Africa, this type of expertise does not currently exist in Rwanda and could take up to a decade to build. The agreement between BioNTech, Senegal, and Rwanda includes critical technology transfer in the second part of the contract, as well as an intellectual property licence agreement.

The Washington Post stated on October 26 that BioNTech plans to build a plant in Africa that will be able to produce around 50 million doses of the vaccine per year, with room for expansion. BioNTech also stated that it is in talks to expand its cooperation with Biovac, a South African vaccine maker. Biovac will construct the vaccine using BioNTech’s chemicals in a process known as “fill and finish.” The first finished doses will be produced in 2022, with an aim of manufacturing more than 100 million each year.

Healthcare Projects worth $140 million on the table in West, East Africa

Posted on by

During a virtual investor roundtable, members of the Africa Investment Forum team showed two projects as the continent strives to enhance its healthcare industry and attract much-needed investment in the aftermath of the Covid-19 outbreak.

The projects, which are valued around $140 million and are located in East and West Africa, were showcased for possible investors.

The first chance, with a project cost of $96 million, is for the establishment of a 250-bed specialized hospital delivering world-class healthcare services in a West African country. The land has been obtained and feasibility assessments have been conducted.

The second involves the development of a $45 million WHO-prequalified vaccine manufacturing factory in East Africa, which will be capable of producing three vaccines on a regular basis, including Covid-19.

Following the talks, a panel of investors shared their perspectives on investing in Africa’s healthcare industry. The panelists included Rhulani Nhlaniki, Pfizer’s Sub-Saharan Africa Cluster Lead; Jean-Philippe Syed, Principal at private equity firm Development Partners International; Afsane Jetha, Managing Partner & CEO at private equity firm Alta Semper Capital; Stavros Nicolaou, Aspen Pharmacare’s Senior Executive – Strategic Trade; and Dr. Dumani Kula, Evercare Group’s Chief Operating Officer for Africa. Aubrey Hruby, Senior Fellow of the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center, moderated the discussion.

According to Nicolaou, the fact that Africa has the largest illness load of any continent makes preventative treatment, including vaccinations, all the more crucial for Africans. The increased demand for medicines will need the formation of partnerships capable of overcoming obstacles such as research and development.

Other difficulties raised by attendees included overcoming cold chain and last-mile delivery issues, as well as approaches to scale up experimental technologies such as the use of drones to aid vaccination distribution.

The Africa Investment Forum’s Unified Response to Covid-19 pillars include health as one of five priority investment areas. Agribusiness, energy and climate change, ICT/Telecoms, and industrialisation and commerce are the others.

Last week, Africa Investment Forum Senior Director Chinelo Anohu mentioned the East Africa vaccine facility idea in the context of Africa’s present restricted access to Covid-19 vaccinations at a panel discussion hosted by the University of Edinburgh. Anohu believes that the continent may prevent vaccination inequities through trade and investment, particularly in its pharmaceutical industry.

Kenya plans to build vaccine factory within six months

Posted on by

Kenya intends to establish a vaccine manufacturing factory in Embakasi, Nairobi, over the next six months.

President Uhuru Kenyatta stated that the company, known as Kenya Biovax Limited, will aid in the country’s access to vaccines.

“By Easter next year, the Ministry of Health should be operationalizing this enterprise to manufacture vaccinations in our country,” he remarked during his Mashujaa Day (heroes) address.

Kenya wants to establish full-fledged vaccine production capabilities by 2024, according to the National Covid-19 Vaccine Deployment Plan.

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the inadequacy of vaccine production facilities in Kenya and other African countries, leaving the region vulnerable to vaccine shortages. So yet, just around 1% of Africa’s population has been properly immunized against coronavirus.

Kenya Biovax is anticipated to be a fill-and-finish facility, where vials with vaccinations will be filled and packed for delivery. Many pharmaceutical companies outsource this final production procedure to third parties. These facilities package and deliver ready-made vaccinations.

The Nairobi facility will be erected in the Embakasi depot of the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa). According to the Ministry of Health, the factory will also manufacture other vaccinations such as polio drops.

Vaccine components will be imported in large quantities. The vaccinations will be manufactured, packaged in vials, labeled, and delivered at the new facility.

In May, the Health Ministry said that negotiations with Oxford AstraZeneca manufacturers were ongoing to import substantial amounts for repackaging in vials. According to the authorities, the discussions are nearly over.

The government stated that because the region is highly inhabited, the Kemsa Kitengela depot was disregarded as a potential location for the plant.

“We have gone for what we term the APIs, which are the active pharmaceutical ingredients,” said Willis Akhwale, head of the vaccines deployment group. We’ve found a partner, and we’re now under nondisclosure, so a lot of information isn’t public. We must first sign.”

US billionaire to manufacture Covid, cancer vaccines in S. Africa

Posted on by

Patrick Soon-Shiong, a biotech millionaire, has announced that he will begin transferring technology to South Africa in order to manufacture Covid-19 and cancer vaccines.

In an online news conference with President Cyril Ramaphosa, the South African-born and now-US-based doctor detailed the proposal that would see coronavirus vaccine production begin next year. Within the following three months, Shiong’s business NantWorks will transfer the technology, and vaccine manufacturing is scheduled to commence in 2022.

The government’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the South African Medical Research Council, and the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation, as well as four local institutions, according to a statement from Ramaphosa’s office.

Aside from vaccinations, the NantWorks project will focus on cell-based immunotherapies, which might lead to novel cancer treatments.

Soon-Shiong, a physician from California, described this as “a momentous event in my life; it’s been a life ambition to look at technology we can bring back home.”

“We now have the expertise and technology to manufacture vaccines in Africa,” he continued. “It is my hope and wish that Africa would benefit from this technology.”

The investment, according to Ramaphosa, is a “game changer” for South Africa.

“This collaboration will drive South Africa and Africa in general to the forefront of healthcare, research, technology, and innovation,” Ramaphosa added.

This is the third pharmaceutical manufacturing investment announced in South Africa this year, the pandemic’s worst afflicted country on the continent.

In the southern city of Gqeberha, once known as Port Elizabeth, Aspen Pharmacare is filling and packing Johnson & Johnson injections.

The World Health Organization has chosen South Africa to host an mRNA manufacturing centre, with Biovac of Cape Town completing the final “fill and finish” phase for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.