| Fri 24 Oct 2003, 8:39 | | ASPEN PHARMACARE HOLDINGS LIMITED - Aspen to manuf |
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ASPEN PHARMACARE HOLDINGS LIMITED - Aspen to manufacture AIDS drugs for Clinton
Foundation
ASPEN PHARMACARE HOLDINGS LIMITED
(Registration number 1985/002935/06
Share code: APN ISIN: ZAE000023586
("Aspen")
Aspen to manufacture AIDS drugs for Clinton Foundation
JSE Securities Exchange listed Aspen Pharmacare, Africa"s largest pharmaceutical
manufacturer, has entered into an agreement with the US-based Clinton Foundation
for the manufacture of antiretroviral (ARV) medicines.
Former President Bill Clinton announced today in New York that his Foundation
has reached an agreement with Aspen and selected other leading multinational
generic drug manufacturers on a major reduction in the price of HIV/AIDS
medicine. As a result, it will be easier to make life-saving drugs widely
available to people with HIV/AIDS in the developing world. ARVs supplied by
these companies have been certified to be of high quality by the World Health
Organization and the Medicines Control Council of South Africa (MCC).
"This agreement will allow the delivery of life-saving medicines to people who
desperately need them," President Clinton said. "It represents a big
breakthrough in our efforts to begin treatment programs in places where, until
now, there has been virtually no medicine, and therefore no hope."
Stephen Saad, Aspen Group Chief Executive said "as Africa"s largest generics
manufacture, this agreement further endorses the Group"s quality manufacturing,
scientific and development capabilities, placing Aspen in a league with the
leading international generic pharmaceutical manufacturers. Aspen has
continually stated its commitment to contributing toward the fight against the
HIV/AIDS pandemic, and this was recently evidenced by the launch of Aspen
Stavudine - the first generic ARV developed and manufactured in Africa. This
initial ARV demonstrates Aspen"s commitment to healthcare in southern African
and underlines the scientific and manufacturing capabilities that exist within
the country at Aspen"s Port Elizabeth based research and production facilities.
Further, Aspen is presently in the process of enhancing its manufacturing
facilities with the addition of a new multi-million rand oral solid dosage
manufacturing facility to service both domestic and offshore markets."
The agreement covers ARVs delivered to people in Africa and the Caribbean where
the William J. Clinton Foundation is working with governments and organizations
to set up country-wide integrated care, treatment and prevention programs.
"Under the Clinton Foundation agreement, the price of one of the commonly used
triple drug therapy combinations will be available for less than $140 per person
per year. This means that these drugs will be available for as little as 36-38
cents per person per day. This represents a reduction of one-third to one-half
in the current price of drugs in the developing world", said Clinton.
Saad said Aspen"s ARV offering should be bolstered shortly by the addition of
Didanosine, Lamivudine, Zidovudine, the Lamivudine/Zidovudine combination and
Nevirapine which have been submitted to the MCC for registration. These
additional licenses were made available to Aspen through arrangements with
Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline and Boehringer Ingelheim. As a result of
the voluntary licenses secured, Aspen infringes no patent regulations.
The Clinton Foundation has been working with the companies on this agreement
over the course of the past nine months, focusing on ways to reduce their costs
and scale up production of the so-called "triple drug cocktails," which can
substantially extend the lives of people living with AIDS and help prevent
mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
"The crisis of AIDS in the developing world requires an emergency response from
the global community," President Clinton said. "I applaud these manufacturers
for doing the right thing." Worldwide, from five to six million people with
AIDS currently need treatment to save their lives; with more than 40 million
people infected with the HIV virus, that number will rise substantially in just
a few years. However, only about 300,000 people in the developing world are
receiving ARVs, with most of them in Brazil. In sub-Saharan Africa, only about
50,000 people are on ARVs, with 4 million in need of the medicine today.
