Three South African pharmaceutical manufacturers have reached the shortlist to potentially produce Gilead Sciences’ HIV-prevention injection, lenacapavir. Deputy Health Minister Joe Phaala confirmed the development at the 26th International Aids Conference in Rio de Janeiro. The South African National Aids Council evaluated submissions received through a call for expressions of interest. It then selected three possible manufacturers. Phaala declined to…
Category: July 2026
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South Africa’s Population Growth Holds at 1.2%
South Africa’s population grew by an estimated 1.2% in the year to June 2026. This brought the total population to 63.52 million, according to the latest mid-year population estimates from Statistics South Africa. The rate was broadly unchanged from 2025. During that year, the population increased by 1.23% to 63.1 million. South Africa’s population has grown from 42.9 million in…
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Sixty60 Pharmacy Delivery Threatens Clicks And Dis-Chem
Shoprite Group’s Sixty60 service is changing more than grocery retail. Its speed, convenience and reliability are resetting what shoppers expect online. Now Sixty60 pharmacy delivery could reshape South Africa’s chemist market too. Shoprite has described Sixty60 as a single consumer platform. The goal is one-hour delivery across all its corporate brands. That ambition carries major implications for the pharmacy sector.…
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Rosebank Health Village Expands Growthpoint Portfolio
Growthpoint Healthcare Property Holdings (GHPH) has completed a R100 million healthcare development in Rosebank, Johannesburg. The new Rosebank Health Village expands the fund’s exposure to specialist medical real estate. It also marks the first step in a planned network of integrated healthcare facilities. GHPH developed the two-storey facility with healthcare provider Epione. The partners plan to establish more health villages…
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Global HIV Funding Cuts Put AIDS Progress At Risk
Global HIV funding cuts pushed international financing for the epidemic to its lowest level in almost two decades in 2025. Funding from several donor countries fell by 18% between 2024 and 2025, according to a new UNAIDS report. The total declined by more than $1.5bn to $7.3bn. The contraction comes at a critical point in the global response to HIV.…
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Aspen HIV Prevention Pill Deal Expands African Access
Aspen Pharmacare will become a major African supplier of Merck’s experimental monthly HIV prevention pill, alimatravir. The agreement depends on the medicine successfully completing clinical trials and receiving regulatory approval. Merck granted voluntary licenses to seven generic drug manufacturers, including the South African company, to produce and distribute lower-cost versions of the medicine. The drug also goes by its development…
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Dis-Chem Leadership Succession Ends Saltzman Era
Dis-Chem co-founder Ivan Saltzman has resigned from the pharmacy retailer’s board after 48 years. His departure ends the founding family’s formal representation in the company’s boardroom. The JSE-listed healthcare group said Saltzman stepped down as a non-executive director with effect from 23 July 2026. He retired as an executive director at the end of June. He then briefly served in…
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Extensior Launch Cuts Ozempic Cost By 15%
Novo Nordisk will launch Extensior in South Africa on 31 July. The medicine contains the same active ingredient as Ozempic but will cost about 15% less. The lower price could reduce monthly expenses for patients who pay for semaglutide themselves. However, the discount is unlikely to persuade medical schemes to expand funding for the costly diabetes treatment. Extensior will be…
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Generic Drug Tariffs Could Raise US Medicine Costs
US President Donald Trump has announced steep tariffs on imported generic medicines. The move is designed to encourage pharmaceutical manufacturers to relocate production to the United States. Trump said generic medicines would remain tariff-free for two years from 1 August 2026. A 100% tariff would then apply for one year from August 2028. This would increase to 200% from August…
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Medicine Safety Under Scrutiny after iDexis Case
Recent court proceedings involving Pretoria-based compounding pharmacy iDexis have placed semaglutide medicine safety in the spotlight. The dispute has sparked debate about access to medicines, intellectual property rights and the regulatory powers of the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA). It has also drawn attention to rising demand for medicines containing semaglutide. This is the active ingredient in registered…