To coincide with the visit of Dr YK Hamied, Chairman, Cipla Ltd. to Kampala Uganda, Cipla announced today it is launching the ‘One Pill a Day’ HIV/AIDS therapy.
“One pill that contains a combination of several different HIV drugs is a big step forward from the cumbersome drug cocktails that used to be the only options for people living with HIV/AIDS,” explained Dr Peter Mugyenyi, the Director and Co-Founder of the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) and Independent Director on the Board of Cipla. “One pill a day, instead of three or four, simplifies treatment for people with HIV and also improves the drug’s overall effectiveness” he concluded.
While making a presentation titled “Advances in the management of HIV/AIDS; A case for ‘One pill a day’ therapy,” Dr Peter Mugyenyi, noted that one of the biggest recent advances in the treatment of HIV/AIDS has been the development of a single-dose medicine.
In addition to the launch of the ‘One Pill a Day’ HIV/AIDS therapy, the company unveiled the first Hepatitis B Drug to be manufactured in Africa by Cipla Quality Chemicals which will go a long way in providing the much needed affordable healthcare to the entire continent.
During the launch of the ‘One Pill a Day’ HIV therapy in Kampala, Dr. Yusuf K. Hamied, the Chairman of Cipla was recognized by Uganda’s President, H.E Yoweri Museveni for his efforts in curbing the HIV/AIDS scourge worldwide.
While receiving the lifetime achievement award, Dr. Hamied in his remarks said that Cipla’s underlying objective has always been to ease human suffering by offering affordable healthcare.
“One of the values that has shaped me for the future is the value of self-reliance and self-sufficiency. “Individual success does not make a person great, what really matters is that person’s contribution to society in improving the lives of his fellow men,” he noted.
He added, “As an Indian company Cipla has always believed that we should help any developing country looking to produce their own anti-retroviral drugs and we should give them the technology free. We will also be making available the drug preventing transmission of AIDS from mother-to-child. At the end of the day, it is all about saving lives.”
Despite accounting for over 80% of the global HIV/AIDS burden, experts have noted that Africa’s share of manufacturing medicines is less than 2%.
However, African entrepreneurs are making bold steps towards changing the status quo. Cipla Quality Chemicals Limited, currently the only company in Sub-Saharan Africa authorized to manufacture triple-combination anti-retroviral drugs has emerged as a pace setter.
Mr. Emmanuel Katongole, the Executive Chairman of Cipla QCL says that the setting up of the plant has improved the availability of ARV’s and anti-malarials in Uganda, which has translated in the reduction of Malaria and HIV/AIDS related deaths in the country.
Cipla Limited has been committed to the fight against for over two decades and has developed over 15 single and combination medicines that revolutionized HIV therapy across the world.
Cipla Limited,the world’s largest manufacturer of anti-retroviral drugs operates in more than 150 countries.