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…
Tag: South Africa
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Sleep Debt And Road Safety: Crash Risk Rises
Poor and inconsistent sleep may be one of the biggest hidden threats to road safety. New research from Discovery Insure suggests that sleep debt is a stronger predictor of crash risk than many traditional insurance factors when these are considered separately. The insurer analysed four years of sleep, driving and accident data from more than 10,000 South African drivers. It…
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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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Hospital CEO Vacancies Raise Governance Concerns
More than 50 public hospitals across South Africa are operating without permanent chief executives. The issue of hospital CEO vacancies is raising concerns about leadership, accountability, and patient services in an already-strained health system. Provincial health departments have blamed budget pressures, austerity measures and controls on employee compensation. These constraints have delayed the appointment of permanent senior managers. Acting executives…
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Shingrix launch in South Africa Raises Access Concerns
A more effective shingles vaccine is expected to become available in South Africa by the end of June 2026. However, its price and planned private-sector launch could place it beyond the reach of many patients. Shingrix is manufactured by pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, or GSK. The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority recently registered the vaccine. SAHPRA registration means Shingrix can…
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AI Alternatives To Animal Testing Gain Momentum
Millions of animals are used worldwide to test medicines, chemicals and cosmetics. Mice, rats, rabbits, dogs and primates may experience pain or distress during these experiments. Animal testing has traditionally been defended as necessary to protect human health. However, advances in artificial intelligence are challenging that argument. Machine-learning systems can now predict drug toxicity, organ damage and chemical hazards. In…
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Contraceptive Shortages Hit South African Healthcare
South Africa is facing severe supply constraints of several widely used birth control brands. Manufacturing disruptions at Aspen Pharmacare have triggered these stockouts. The Department of Health and the major pharmacy chain Clicks confirmed the disruption this week. The supply gap impacts both state-subsidised clinics and private pharmacies. Key oral contraceptives like Triphasil, Nordette, and Microval are currently difficult to…
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Diabetes Deaths In SA Signal Urgent Public Health Emergency
Diabetes deaths in SA have risen sharply, and the disease has become one of South Africa’s most serious public health threats. New mortality figures show that it was the country’s leading underlying natural cause of death in 2023. According to death notification data processed by Stats SA and reviewed by the Diabetes Alliance, diabetes accounted for 27,692 deaths. That represented…