India is cutting cancer drug prices by up to 70% after adding 137 non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines to its price control list. The move aims to make treatment more affordable in the country’s $2.6 billion oncology market, according to a statement from the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers. Margins capped across all formulations The medicines include immunotherapy drugs used for 20…
Tag: generic medicines
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Medicine Shortages: Experts Call for Patient-Access Measures
South Africa should judge medicine shortages by whether patients receive their full treatment on time, not only by stock figures, according to a recent opinion piece. The author argues that public reporting on patient access would show whether current supply measures actually work. Department reassures on generics On 1 September 2026, the National Department of Health explained that changes in…
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Mediscor Medicines Review: Medicine Spend Rose 4.7% in 2025
Medicine benefits remain one of the clearest ways members feel the value of their medical scheme, according to the 2025 Mediscor Medicines Review. The report describes not runaway growth but steady pressure from utilisation, high-cost therapies, chronic disease and member affordability. The analysis draws on fee-for-service schemes with ongoing Mediscor PBM contracts, covering more than 1 million beneficiaries. Year-on-year shifts,…
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GLP-1 Generics Could Reshape Local Obesity Market
A new wave of generic GLP-1 medicines could transform South Africa’s fast-growing obesity treatment market. Sun Pharma recently launched the country’s first generic semaglutide injection for type 2 diabetes through its Ranbaxy subsidiary. The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) is considering another 13 semaglutide applications. The opportunity is substantial. Morgan Stanley expects the global GLP-1 market to reach…
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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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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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Sun Pharma’s Generic Semaglutide Gets SA Approval
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries has received regulatory approval to manufacture and sell a generic semaglutide injection in South Africa. The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, or SAHPRA, approved the medicine for adults with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes. Semaglutide is the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s diabetes medicine Ozempic. It is also used in the company’s Wegovy weight-loss treatment. The…
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Slow Patent Reform Delays Access to Medicines
South Africa’s continued failure to reform its patent laws is restricting access to affordable medicines. The consequences of slow patent reform are also placing further pressure on the public healthcare system. More than 12 years have passed since the “PharmaGate” scandal became public. The scandal exposed an alleged campaign by the pharmaceutical industry to delay and weaken reforms to South…
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Lenacapavir HIV Prevention Injection: SA Rollout Faces Heat
South Africa’s long-acting HIV prevention programme has entered a new phase. President Cyril Ramaphosa and Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi led an official rollout event in Secunda, Mpumalanga, on 5 June 2026. The twice-yearly injection of lenacapavir prevents HIV infection when used as prescribed. Health officials position the product as a major addition to the country’s prevention toolkit. This is alongside…
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Healthcare Investment Drives Growth and Productivity
Leaders in emerging markets are under pressure. Economies are strained. Geopolitical tension is rising. Growth must be sustained. Yet policy debates often miss one core driver of national performance: health. In fact, healthcare investment drives growth by improving productivity and stability for these economies. A nation’s health is tightly linked to its economic strength. Health care is not a side…
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Mediscor Medicines Review 2024: Key Insights Revealed
The Mediscor Medicines Review 2024 reveals a significant 5.0% increase in medicine expenditure. This marks the most substantial rise in the past three years, presenting a complex challenge for South Africa’s healthcare sector. As a leading pharmaceutical benefits management (PBM) organisation covering over 2.6 million lives, Mediscor’s annual analysis provides a critical barometer for the industry. The 2024 report highlights…