April 2, 2012
Under an arrangement announced Friday, French drugmaker Sanofi will partner with India's Hetero to manufacture low-cost antiretrovirals in South Africa. The move represents progress toward South Africa's goal of buying 80 percent of its ARVs from local sources, said Sanofi CEO Christopher Viehbacher. "There is a continuous supply shortage for critical medicines for HIV/AIDS. Only 50 percent of patients are able to receive treatment, and there is a real need for more locally manufactured and supplied affordable ARVs." To accommodate increased demand, Sanofi recently upgraded its factory north of Pretoria.