Generic and Biosimilar Medicines of Southern Africa (GBMSA) has applauded South African generic medicine manufacturers for their critical role in securing sufficient medicines for the millions of South Africans needing treatment during the pandemic, despite enormous challenges.
Vivian Frittelli, CEO of the industry body for generic and biosimilar manufacturers, GBMSA, said the closing down of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) factories in India and China – the factories responsible for the manufacturing of the active ingredients in medicines – had threatened the inflow of crucial medicine components.
“This forced local manufacturers to find alternative API sources at short notice to ensure the continuous supply of products,” he said. “Similarly, when the Indian government banned exports of APIs, the GBMSA leveraged its partnership with the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance to negotiate a solution and ultimately reverse the ban.”
The combination of increasing worldwide demand for lifesaving ICU treatments and severe global supply chain constraints, including almost zero flights to the country, threatened critical shortages of medicines to treat those suffering from both COVID and non-COVID related conditions. Despite this, South Africa generics manufacturers rallied to obtain sufficient medicines to ensure minimal stock shortages so that patients could receive the treatment they required.
Frittelli added that many manufacturers absorbed huge increases in freight charges, sometimes up to 500%, and continued to ensure supply within the single exit prices.
“Various of our member companies also managed to obtain the license, at short notice, to import Remdesivir – a medicine in high global demand for treatment of COVID-19 – for hospitalised patients.”
A lull in the intensity of the pandemic has enabled GBMSA to take stock of the courage demonstrated by personnel at the frontline of manufacturing and logistics of medicines.
“Those working within the industry made enormous sacrifices so that they could continue working to supply essential medicines to the critically ill patients in ICU and others requiring regular medication. We salute them for carrying on working despite the risks to themselves and their families, during what was an extremely uncertain time for all of us,” he said.
While the pandemic is not over, GBMSA says the industry has learnt much from these past two years. “The pandemic has forced us all headlong into a new reality, which has given us a resilience that will stand us in good stead to weather any future disruptions.”
Issued by GBMSA