Indian drugs firms keen to invest locally

partner Government to establish plants that would manufacture generic antiretroviral (ARV) drugs locally.
Generic ARVs are exactly the same as their branded counterparts in dosage form, safety, performance characteristics, and quality with the only notable difference being the price.
The cost of ARV’s has been prohibitive, with reports of acute shortages of the drugs surfacing recently.
Dr Mugurungi said the country stands to benefit from strategically partnering with India and other BRICS countries which include China, Brazil, Russia and South Africa.
“Our relations with the BRICS nations present us with an opportunity to form link ups such that instead of importing the generic materials used in the manufacture of ARVs, we can manufacture the whole product       locally. We should place emphasis on how we can grow the pharmaceutical sector and take advantage of the regional market,” he said.
The availability of cheap anti-retroviral drugs has been instrumental in scaling up treatment poor countries. India is the largest supplier of generic ARVs to low- and middle- income countries, providing 80 percent of donor-funded ARVs.
Brazil, Thailand and South Africa also produce a significant amount of generic drugs and a number of African nations including Zambia, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya – have developed local HIV drug manufacturing facilities as well.
In Zimbabwe, WHO approved pharmaceutical manufacturer Varichem had stopped producing the drugs citing lack of support from the local market.-New Ziana