Medicine shortages have prompted the Western Cape government to seek urgent national intervention, including an investigation into possible port delays affecting imported medicines. Health and Wellness MEC Mireille Wenger has asked Transport Minister Barbara Creecy to help identify logistical obstacles and prioritise medicine consignments. Her request highlights concerns about the Port of Durban. However, authorities have yet to establish the…
Tag: pharmaceuticals
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Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Crisis Deepens
South Africa’s pharmaceutical manufacturing crisis is growing as local producers lose government contracts and contend with rising costs. Stavros Nicolaou, chair of Pharmaceuticals Made in South Africa, says the Department of Health’s procurement policy is undermining the government’s localisation ambitions. He notes that officials award contracts to companies labelled as local suppliers. However, some companies import finished medicines rather than…
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Pharmaceutical Localisation Talks Target Investment And Supply
Senior government officials and top leaders of the pharmaceutical industry have agreed to pursue closer cooperation. South Africa seeks to boost local medicine production and enhance supply security. On 18 August, the two parties met in Pretoria to talk about the immediate pressures facing the sector. They discussed the longer-term measures needed to support pharmaceutical manufacturing. Professor Nicholas Crisp, who…
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Local Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Needs Urgent Support
An industry group has warned that South Africa’s emphasis on securing the lowest possible prices for medicine is excluding local pharmaceutical companies from important state contracts. This issue highlights the challenges faced by local pharmaceutical manufacturing. In particular, they struggle to remain competitive in the market. Pharmaceuticals Made in South Africa (Pharmisa) told Parliament that the Health Department’s procurement policies…
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SA HIV Treatment Programme Faces Historic Slowdown
South Africa’s massive HIV response has hit a significant roadblock. The country’s leading mathematical tool for tracking HIV trends, the Thembisa model, has released its latest estimates. They reveal that the South African HIV treatment programme recorded its slowest annual growth in two decades. Between 2024 and 2025, the number of people receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART) increased by just 40,000.…
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German Drug Price Reforms Shake Pharma And Hospitals
Germany’s cost-of-care debate is moving from rhetoric to legislation. And it is landing hard on medicines and hospitals. The latest discussions on German drug price reforms come as Berlin is trying to stabilise statutory health insurance funds that are projected to drift deeper into deficit. Government estimates put the potential shortfall at around €40bn by 2030 if spending is not…
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HIV Funding Cuts Endanger South Africa’s Lenacapavir Rollout
A new report from the US non-profit Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) has issued a stark warning for the healthcare industry. Recent HIV Funding Cuts from the Trump administration are directly threatening South Africa’s ability to deploy lenacapavir. This twice-yearly injectable has been celebrated as a major breakthrough in HIV prevention. HIV Funding Cuts Threaten Life-Saving Healthcare Infrastructure The PHR…
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GLP-1 Weight Loss Medications Gain Traction In South Africa
South Africa is witnessing the early stages of a significant shift in the healthcare and consumer goods sectors. New data reveal that GLP-1 weight loss medications are beginning to gain a foothold in the local market. While global headlines have been dominated by brands like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro, the South African landscape is currently defined by both high potential…
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FDA Biosimilar Development Guidance Targets Treatment Costs
\n\nBiologic medicines are made from living cells and are among the most expensive therapies available. While they account for only 5% of all prescriptions, they are responsible for a staggering 51% of total drug spending in the United States. To address this imbalance, the FDA is prioritising the expansion of the biosimilar market.\n\n\n\nThe new FDA biosimilar development guidance focuses on…
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Aspen Pharmacare Debt-Free: Strategic Shift To GLP-1 Injectables
Aspen Pharmacare has officially closed the chapter on its leveraged era. For the first time since the company was founded in 1997, CEO Stephen Saad has confirmed the group is debt-free. This significant milestone follows the massive sale of its Asia-Pacific operations (excluding China) to BGH Capital. The deal, concluded at the end of last year, was valued at A$2.37…
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Local Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Health Security
The Department of Health finds itself at the centre of a heated national debate. The controversy surrounds the recent R15.5bn AIDS drug tender. It has reignited a long-standing conflict between fiscal austerity and industrial growth. Should the state prioritise the lowest possible price, or should it pay a premium for local pharmaceutical manufacturing? The Tension Between Budget Cuts and Industrial…