Cipla Quality Chemical has revealed that it’s in the final phases of gearing up to manufacture hydroxychloroquine, the antimalarial drug doctors have used to treat covid19.

This comes after the ministry of health said the drug has been used to treat people that have recovered from the respiratory illness in Uganda.

Dr. Henry Mwebesa, the director-general of Health Services, recently said they are using it alongside erythromycin.

Hydroxychloroquine is included in the World Health Organization’s Solidarity trial, to find a treatment for covid19.

South African deal

Away from the coronavirus, Cipla has also won a contract to manufacture ARVs for South Africa.

The medicine manufacturer said, it recently dispatched 300,000 packs of ARVs ( a combination of tenofovir, emtricatabine efavirenz) to South Africa, as part of it’s “Africa for Africa” ambition.

According to the 2019 UNAIDS statistics, South Africa has the biggest HIV epidemic globally, with 7.7 million people living with HIV and has the world’s largest antiretroviral programme.

The 300,000 pack consignment marks the beginning of supply that’s expected to spread over the next 12 months and will give South Africans access to quality medicines made in Uganda, officials said.

Cipla chief executive Nevin Bradford, said: “Guaranteeing these volumes for the next 12 months foreshadows a manufacturing expansion for CiplaQCIL into one of the largest pharmaceutical markets in Africa.”